The Silver Tea Service |
Aunt Flo bought this silver tea service from an antique shop in London. The tray did not come with the set; it is silverplate, and was purchased later. At some point, Aunt Flo gave the set to her oldest niece, Ruby, who she often referred to as "her son and heir." Ruby later had the tray replated. The smell of silver polish immediately brings to my mind the memory of polishing the silver at Grandma Ruby’s dining room table!
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The Internet has some wonderful guides to British sterling hallmarks. Hallmarks on silver provide information about when and where a piece was made, and by whom. The hallmarks on the teapot and sugar bowl are clear; the hallmarks on the creamer are a little less distinct, but match those on the sugar bowl. Surprisingly, the teapot has a different set of hallmarks than the sugar bowl and creamer, which tells us it was made at a different time and by a different silversmith. If you look closely at the pieces, you can see a slight difference in the design, particularly in the handles and spout. Also, the teapot is monogrammed with the letter “S”, while the sugar bowl and creamer are not. I’ve been able to pinpoint the time, place and maker of these pieces of silver.
1. Silver Standard Mark: The standard mark indicates the purity of the silver. The teapot, the creamer, and the sugar bowl each have the Lion Passant hallmark, indicating the pieces are Sterling .925.
3. Duty Mark: In 1784 a duty mark was created to indicate a tax on the piece had been paid to the crown. The mark used was a profile portrait of the reigning monarch’s head. The use of this mark was abolished in 1890. The teapot has a hallmark of Queen Victoria I, indicating the piece was made between 1838 and 1890. The particular, detailed profile of this hallmark was used between 1838 and 1850. The creamer and sugar bowl have no duty mark, indicating they were made after 1890.
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4. Date Mark: The date mark system was introduced in London in 1478. Its purpose was to establish when a piece was presented for assay or testing of the silver content. The mark letter changed annually in May; the cycles of the date letters were usually in strings of twenty, and each cycle was differentiated by a changing of the font, letter case, and shield shape. This is an amazing system! The teapot has an Olde English capital “C”, indicating it was made (presented for assay) in 1838. This is consistent (within the date range) of the city mark and duty mark. The creamer and sugar bowl have a lowercase “c”, indicating they were made sixty years later, in 1898, also consistent with the city mark, and the lack of a duty mark. |
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5. Maker’s Mark: The enforced use of the maker’s mark was instituted in London in 1363 as a means to prevent forgery. Maker’s marks originally were pictograms, but by the 17th century it was common practice to use the maker’s initials.
The teapot bears a maker’s mark of “CF” within an indented oval, indicating the maker was probably Charles Thomas Fox, b. 1801, d. 1872. He worked in the first half of the 19th century which is consistent with the date mark of 1838. He had several marks; this particular mark was registered in 1838. (His father, Charles Fox, was also a silversmith, but one source shows the elder Fox retired in 1822. Crispin Fuller was another silversmith of that era. His work seems to be earlier, in the first quarter of the 19th century, which would predate the teapot, and his mark also appears a little different, perhaps in a rectangle rather than an oval.) Sources indicate the Foxes (including brother George, whose work starts in the mid-19th century) were known as “a very fine and important family of silversmiths,” and pieces made by them can be found in various antique auctions for several hundred to several thousand dollars.
The creamer and sugar bowl bear a maker’s mark of DW over JW, within a shield, indicating the maker to be Daniel and John Welby. The Welbys were silversmiths at the end of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, again, consistent with the date mark of 1898. This particular maker’s mark was registered December 1896. The Welbys also were known for their fine work, including reproductions. It's possible that the sugar bowl and creamer were commissioned to replicate the teapot design to complete the set.
It’s been so amazing to learn about the silver tea service. Imagine, the teapot is more than 175 years old, and the creamer and sugar bowl more than 115 years old! If Antique Road Show ever comes around, I’d love to hear more about the set. Have I accurately dated these pieces? Who would have owned such a set? Would the teapot have originally been made with a sugar bowl and creamer? If so, how might those pieces have become separated?