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Hello,

Please could someone advise the maker of my Telescopic Pencil. I believe it is hallmarked for 1887 (although the shape around the Lion did make me suspect it was earlier - but I don't think pencils of this style were made in the 1820's)




Apologies for the poor photos - the maker/sponsor's mark looks to be 'J "Arrow pointing up" (or a plus sign) T'

Many thanks,

Simon

Hello Simon

Accepting that the Town Mark is the one for Chester an 1821 hallmark would also have carried a leopard's head and very probably a Duty Mark.This would leave the assay year as 1887 as you say but a trawl through Chester Gold & Silver Marks 1570 to 1962 by Ridgway & Priestley looking for J ? T marks comes up with the unsatisfactory result of:
JHT with pellets between the initials registered in 1882 by Joseph Hayes Taylor of 70 Spencer Street, Birmingham. The pencil has a loop for hanging from a chain and his entry notes show he made, amongst other things, "chain appendages";
JT with a large pellet between the initials registered in 1878 by James Thornton, a jeweller from 54 Guest Street, Hockley Hill, Birmingham.

Mike

Hello Mike,

Many thanks for the reply, let me see if I can obtain a better photo of the maker's mark to see if I have been interpreting it incorrectly.

Kind regards,

Simon

A virtually identical mark to that of James Thornton was registered in 1880 by John Troup & Sons, watchmakers & jewellers, of Hatton Garden, London.

Phil

I agree Phil. At first sight John Troup & Sons appeared to be watch and clockmakers but as they were also listed as jewellers they may have produced a pencil holder.

It would be a stretch of the imagination however, as with the ones registered by J H Taylor and J Thornton, for any of their registered punches to have produced the one in the image Simon has posted but perhaps the camera has lied.

For the record at Chester in 1885 J Troup & Sons registered another rectangular but differently proportioned JT mark with a pellet which could not have produced the one on the 1887 pencil holder.

Mike

Hi Mike and Phil,

I have taken another couple of photos of the marks:




I agree that the camera is playing havoc with getting an accurate shot of the pellet.

Regards,

Simon

Hello Simon

The maker's mark does look different now and the town mark more like the one for Chester.
The arrow head shape above the pellet is baffling. There's nothing similar in Ridgway and Priestley's book as far as I can tell. If it is ignored the mark looks much like the one for Thornton or Troup. I can only think perhaps the punch or that part of the mark itself was damaged.

Regards,
Mike

Cheers Mike and Phil, I appreciate your input.

Kind regards,

Simon