Gentleman's cane - London 1884 - F.B - Frederick Brasted?

[Snowcat]

Hi

I recently purchased this very fine cane, featuring a fox head on the silver pommel.
London marks for 1884, although the usual side profile woman's head is absent.
Maker's mark: F.B
The seller listed the silversmith as Frederick Brasted who was active at that time. However...the silvercollection.it site distinguishes between contemporary London silversmiths Frederick Brasted using 'FB' and Fanny Benjamin using 'F.B'. It states: 'Fanny Benjamin, 105 Hatton Gardens, London, succeeding to Benjamin & Durlacher, mark entered in 1863, 1864 and 1876', and then shows an example of her London 1876 hallmark, which is virtually identical in letter shaping to the one on my cane, and includes the full stop after the F, as with my cane.



Does anyone know if this cane was made by Frederick Brasted or Fanny Benjamin, or some other silversmith?




I came across another silver item on this forum, also attributed to Frederick Brasted, featuring a similar style fox head to the one on my cane. Note: it's very similar but not identical.



The 'F' on this item, if it is an 'F', is a very strange looking F to me.

Anyway, hopefully someone more knowledgeable than myself on this subject may be able to offer some insight as to the most likely maker of my cane.

Thanks in advance. :)

Cheers
Paul Caspall

[silvermakersmarks]

Hi Paul and welcome to the forum.

There should be no confusion between the marks of Brasted (FB in a rectangular punch with cut corners) and Fanny Benjamin (F.B in an oval punch). However the mark on your cane (F.B in a rectangular punch with cut corners) is neither of these so we have to look elsewhere for the solution. Neither my site nor the silvercollection.it site come anywhere close to listing all of the possible FB marks extant at the period in question. John Culme's book, the Directory of Gold and Silversmiths, Jewellers and Allied Traders 1838-1914 is the authority for London marks and from there I can identify your mark as almost certainly Franz Blumenstein of F Blumenstein & Co, umbrella and stick makers and mounters.

Phil

[Snowcat]

Wow.

Call me impressed. :)

I didn't realise the punch marks were part of the identification. Yes, mine is just as you describe.

I shall track down the book you mentioned and add it to my library.

Thank you very much for this Phil. I might be able to learn a bit more about Franz Blumenstein too.

Until today I didn't even know this forum even existed...but until a few days ago I didn't own this cane! ;)

Thanks again, and all the best for a great 2025.

Cheers
Paul

[Snowcat]

And here he is, Franz Blumenstein, advertising in the 1884 Business Directory of London, the very year he made my cane.

(near the bottom right corner of the page)



Cheers!