Identification - Unknown Maker

[Waylander]

Hi all

It's been a while between visits. About 7 years in fact! Anyway, life moves in mysterious ways and I've re-discovered my passion for sterling silver and hall marking!

I've got a fairly plain fiddle back spoon. It was purchased in a (motley?) collection of spoons, the rest of which have been identified as American silver, all coin silver (no sterling marks in the lot!), mostly dating around 1850 -1890.

This one is a puzzle. One of the other forums I frequent reckoned it was Norwegian silver, due to the Assay Mark for Trondheim (being an upper case M, for the period 1842-1863). Date fits, but not sure the other marks do.



Apologies for the lack of a full image, will do that in future, hope someone can shed some more light on this spoon.

Cheers

Waylander

[Waylander]

Ok, that didn't work. And I've forgotten how to edit posts. Ha.

Take 2:




Hope it works this time.

Bit rusty after 7 years or so....

Waylander

[dognose]

Hi Waylander,

Welcome back to the Forum.

It's Maltese.

Maltese silver of this period carries the makers mark and also a single letter that denotes one of the three silver standards permitted at this time, the standard was divided into 12ths and as follows:-

"F" (French Silver) 11 1/2 parts Silver to 1/2 part alloy
"R" (Roman Silver) 11 parts Silver to 1 part alloy
"M" (Maltese Silver) 10 1/2 parts Silver to 1 1/2 parts alloy

See: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 38&t=33204

Not sure of the maker, hopefully someone else can identify him.

I'll move the topic to the Provincial & Colonial Marks section to see if we have any luck there.

Trev.

[Waylander]

Cheers Trev

Waylander

[Granmaa]

Good to see you back, Waylander.

The maker's mark is similar to that of Antonio Portelli (AP in a shield with fleur-del-lis above), drawn in Denaro, 'The Goldsmiths of Malta and their Marks'. The 'date of mention' it gives is 1808, which is not impossible for your spoon.

Miles

[Waylander]

Cheers Miles. The maker's mark you describe certainly fits what I have, so I'll use Mr Portelli as the tentative attribution.

Thanks for your help

Waylander