I have a family signet ring whose history has been forgotten. I've tried taking the ring to various people but none have been able to enlighten me.
The first question is what information do the hallmarks provide? I'm guessing the 22 means 22 carat?!
The second question is what does the crest represent?
/Thank you for any help provided. I'd almost given up trying to find anything out about the ring but then a friend suggested I try again online...
Help with family ring..
Re: Help with family ring..
Well, the motto is in French and says, "Think Big".
Re: Help with family ring..
Hi,
Welcome to the Forum.
I suspect, but only, suspect, that the marks on your ring are maker's marks only, rather than being any sort of official hallmarks, and may possibly relate to the seal engraver rather than the actual maker of the ring.
Such pieces were very popular in the mid 19th century. Is is 'TPC' or 'TPG' ?
One such seal engraver around in the 1850's - 1880's period was T. Culleton of 25, Cranbourn Street, London.
T. Culleton - London - 1882
Whether or not this is his work or if he supplied 22ct rings I could not say, but he was not registered at the London Assay Office so could not have submitted work under his name.
As for the crest itself, here are two possibilities.
Torings crest
Miles crest
Of course these would appear as a mirror image on the engraving itself.
Just speculation!
Regards Trev.
Welcome to the Forum.
I suspect, but only, suspect, that the marks on your ring are maker's marks only, rather than being any sort of official hallmarks, and may possibly relate to the seal engraver rather than the actual maker of the ring.
Such pieces were very popular in the mid 19th century. Is is 'TPC' or 'TPG' ?
One such seal engraver around in the 1850's - 1880's period was T. Culleton of 25, Cranbourn Street, London.
T. Culleton - London - 1882
Whether or not this is his work or if he supplied 22ct rings I could not say, but he was not registered at the London Assay Office so could not have submitted work under his name.
As for the crest itself, here are two possibilities.
Torings crest
Miles crest
Of course these would appear as a mirror image on the engraving itself.
Just speculation!
Regards Trev.
-
hurryingnowhere
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:00 pm
Re: Help with family ring..
Hi, salmoned, thanks for the insight. I probably should have mentioned that the French motto I had got, although I'm not really sure if there's any significance of it being in French - I wasn't aware of any French blood, for example.
Trev, the information about Cullerton is very interesting, and could be an answer as well as offering a rough date. I have to say though I've generally been under the impression that it was a G, although have uploaded a closer image of the marks, and it could equally be a C! Reference the bird, my surname is Gardner, and a friend whose surname is Gairdner has a very similar bird on his ring. Not sure if that means anything, and the Miles crest also looks very similar. Do you know what type of bird it is?
Trev, the information about Cullerton is very interesting, and could be an answer as well as offering a rough date. I have to say though I've generally been under the impression that it was a G, although have uploaded a closer image of the marks, and it could equally be a C! Reference the bird, my surname is Gardner, and a friend whose surname is Gairdner has a very similar bird on his ring. Not sure if that means anything, and the Miles crest also looks very similar. Do you know what type of bird it is?
Re: Help with family ring..
Sadly Thomas Culleton the engraver of Cranbourn Street London gave no second name to fit the letter P in the mark on the ring either when marrying in 1851, or when answering the UK Census questions for 1861, 1871 and 1881. There is also no second name recorded on the 1887 entry for him on the Death Register.
As far as I've been able to tell neither TPC nor TPG appears registered at any UK assay office as a maker's mark until a TPG was registered at Edinburgh by Thomas P Griffin of Newmains in 1948 and the letters there were sans serif.
Pensez fort----"Think Hard"?
Mike
As far as I've been able to tell neither TPC nor TPG appears registered at any UK assay office as a maker's mark until a TPG was registered at Edinburgh by Thomas P Griffin of Newmains in 1948 and the letters there were sans serif.
Pensez fort----"Think Hard"?
Mike