www.925-1000.com

Hello
I just bought a lovely, big and heavy 1825 London butter knife.

There is a M under the Leopard's head.
Can you please tell me what it stands for ?

The silversmith is WS ; I think it is William Sumner I
Can you please confirm?

Thank you very much

Fripou

I see what you mean about an M and I have to say that I have never seen anything similar before. However I think that it is more likely to be a flaw in the punching (not on the punch itself), although I don't know enough about how the process was actually done to suggest how it might have occurred.

I think that WS is more likely to have been William Schofield, registered as a spoonmaker 10 Nov 1820. William Sumner I is believed to have died in 1807.

Phil

Hi,
A flaw in the punching and imagination.
Besides, this cannot be the first example ever recorded (as far as I know).
Regards

Thank you so much for the quick answer and for correction the name of the silversmith !

Hi Fripou,

Is it possible to capture a real high definition close-up of the mark?

Trev.

Which one?
Leopard?
silversmith.?

Hi Fripou,

The Leopard's Head with the possible mystery 'M'.

Many thanks.

Trev.

Sorry for the very late reply

here are two pics of the head

what I mistook for an M is actually just a little line....


François

Hi François,

Many thanks for posting the extra images.

It does appear to be a result of a cracked punch, or some debris becoming attached to the punch at the time of striking.

Trev.

Yes, so it deos !

THank you so much, Trev