Who is This

British Silver What is it?
1

I have a silver plated tray, I think from the late 1800s. From the New England area. It has a company called J.F. Cukran Co. on the back. Also on the back is a number 14 over 200.

I cannot find any info on this company anywhere…can someone help give me some background info on this?

Thanks,

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2

Hi John,
Just picked up on your piece, i’m wondering if it could be "J.F.CURRAN & CO,
instead of CUKRAN, Their pieces are quite like the one you’ve got, if you search you will find an example in one of the online auctions, Other than that I can’t tell you any more,
I hope I have been of some help
harry.

3

Yes…that’s it! Thank you…Do you know anything about this comapny. A google and Ebay search resulted it almost nothing!

Thanks Again…

4

John - Harry nailed this one. J. F. Curran & Co. were silverplaters that operated in New York from 1860 to about 1900. The mark is an oval, with the company name around the top, “xxx” and “extra plate” in the middle, and “New York” around the bottom.

Thanks for joining us here on silver-collector.com - no mystery should go unsolved.

Uncle Vic

5

Uncle Vic,

Thanks!! Any idea what the value might be? It has a 14/200 stamped on the back. I couldn’t find any info via google on the company either…

By the way Under the What is This section I have a some photos of another item. Since I posted it I found some markings on it. They Read: " J.L. Treats PATENT EE 251863_ " The last number is hard to read. It’s not an American Patent, I checked the database and called the office. They said EE was Estonia. I contacted their office and they said that dating back to 1919 when they opened till now that the numbers just don’t go that high. They thought it was from czarist Russia, but I don’t know.

It’s some kind of dispenser with a pump on top and a sigot at the top in the shape of some animal…Any help woud be great!

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6

John, I would guess the value would be very little, as silver plated items of that era, even in good condition, draw very little interest nowdays. Everyone is chasing sterling now since the metal value is around $13.50 a tr. oz. Years ago when I started collecting silver, the oz. price was about $5. I collected the stuff that caught my eye, never considered the metal value. I concentrated on a few obscure American makeers that produced items that I just liked. Mauser is my favorite American maker, and I’ve been able to acquire a good bit of Mauser. With the metal prices now, it’s a whole new ball game. A lot of the really fine late 19th and early 20th centruy American silver is in danger of being melted down for the metal value. I’m trying to acquire all I can before silver gets to about $18 when the meltdown will become a runaway train. The workmanship that will be melted and lost can never be duplicated - once its gone, its gone.

Uncle Vic

7

Uncle Vic,

That is very interesting what you said about silver. Never thought of it in that way. Too bad about the lost art work…kind of like tearing down the Coliseum in Rome for the marble…

Did ou get a chance to look at the other piece in my note above? Still trying to figure out what that is…

John

8

John - no, it has me stumped…

Uncle Vic