Tastevin Mystery

[ddg47]

Cannot find out anything about this Tastevin -- sterling? plate? what does Exeter and the crown mean? is it old? new? I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/56 ... good-times" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ahriman]

Not sterling, based on what your photos reveal so far. But there's the rub: not enough detail. You refer to "Exeter" and "the crown" but the photos don't allow anyone to home in sufficiently to see, never mind to comment. Could you provide macro shots so everyone can see what you are seing?

All the best,

[ddg47]

Sorry the pictures posted were not close-up enough, here is a detail shot as requested, thank you for your suggestion, I hope this helps.

http://community.webshots.com/album/568 ... =community

[Ahriman]

-- sterling? plate? what does Exeter and the crown mean? is it old? new? --

It's most likely silver plated on to bronze or perhaps brass, as the coin at the heart of it is a specimen of the first, bronze minting of the second issue (1860-1901) of the Victorian ha'penny bearing the 'young head' of the Queen (like your example) until 1894, when the second bronze minting changed over to the 'veiled' or 'old head' between 1894 and 1895, to be minted until 1901, when pennies etc minted in January were withheld from general circulation, the Queen having died on the 22nd of that month.

The styling of the trademark 'Exeter' + crown, together with the obvious need to have a comparatively easy access route to a supply of Victorian sterling coinage bronze ha'pennies to make the pieces, suggest to me this is probably Canadian. (Eileen Woodhead, alas, hasn't come across the trademark in her invaluable resource on silver plated basemetal goods in Canada) Nothing suggests 'English' as an origin to me, and just to be sure, I have found no trace of such a tradename in English plate resources I have here.

Age? Not contemporary with the coin, for starters... :-)) There was quite a vogue for embedding old coins into pieces like this in the 1960s and '70s, I seem to remember, and it wouldn't surprise me if this was an example of that fashion of the time. Its condition seems to sit quite comfortably with that as well..?

Hope this helps some of the way at least.

[ddg47]

Thank you very much. What you have written makes sense and helps to explain the old age of the coin not matching the fairly new look of the piece. Perhaps your comments will spark someones memory as to an "Exeter" company. Again, thanks for your interest and information. Best, D.