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Hello.

I've a decorative silver buckle with a tudor rose chape, bearing a standard mark and a confusing date or maker's stamp. I've trawled my sole book on silver marks, and have come up with nothing.

Only the part bearing the chape is stamped, with no marks on the shield.

The confusing stamp is an 'L' with a line through it, and dots underneath, in an elaborate lozenge, similar to ones used in 17th Century Norwich date stamps.

Thank you for your time, and in advance for any help.

The buckle is of the only type that survives in any numbers from the late seventeenth century to early eighteenth. Always assumed to be shoe buckles although a pair has never been recorded as far as I know. Prong on this one Is missing but could have been either iron or silver. The stud on the chape plate almost certainly was to attach via a buttonhole in a piece of fabric or leather
Having Lion Passant Guardant points to a date prior to 1697 but although it may be London it could well be provincial. I doubt it is post 1720.
The barred "L" or perhaps an "E" is almost certainly a makers mark, and not a dateletter.
Like you I cannot trace this mark !

Was this an excavated item ?
if so an indication of where found might help.

The spoon collectors are the most likely to have seen the mark before

Thank you for the additional information - certainly helps to focus the search!

It turned up in a mixed lot bought in a small Lincolnshire auction-room - no idea of its provenance prior to this.

Forgot to add - judging by the rust deposits, the prong was iron and has long since eroded away.

I wonder if it could be Peter Edwardes II of Chester. Jackson's p.390.

Miles