Please help identify HS mark in a diamond shape

[One4uTwo4me]

I have inherited a box of silver flatware from my English grandmother and have no idea if it is sterling silver or plated. There are two marks. The first is an HS mark over a star enclosed in a diamond shape. There is a shape above the HS but I can't identify what it is. Can you? The second mark is a lady's head facing right enclosed in a roundish square. I did a little research before posting and the HS mark is "not identified possibly Sheffield hallmark and French import mark". Hmmm...maybe French and I am in the wrong forum? My grandfather was French. Thank you so much in advance for providing any information on this flatware.

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

Please embed your images.

Trev.

[One4uTwo4me]

Sorry but I cannot find the function that allows me to upload or imbed photos.

[oel]

See: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=42199

[JayT]

Good news! Your French flatware is 950 standard silver (higher grade than sterling), as shown by the Minerva head in an octagonal reserve. See here:
http://www.925-1000.com/Ffrench_marks.html

The maker is Henri Soufflot. See here for more info about this maker:
http://www.925-1000.com/Ffrench_makers_H.html

You don’t give dimensions, so it is not possible to say if this is a dinner service or a dessert service. The pattern is called Uniplat.

Hope this helps.

[One4uTwo4me]

How exciting! Thank you for your reply. Now the question is "what to do with it?". It is such a odd set with 20 dinner forks, 11 salad forks, 10 large serving spoons and 8 soup spoons and 3 small spoons. Not in the best of shape either. Many pieces are bent.

[JayT]

My pleasure to help. From your description it sounds like you have a partial service, with dinner forks, place spoons (what you call serving spoons), dessert forks (what you call salad forks) and dessert spoons (you say soup spoons), and a few coffee spoons. Silver flatware can be repaired by a competent silversmith - your choice whether it is worth it to you to invest in preserving what has been a well used set. Good luck in your decision.