www.925-1000.com

HI and greetings from the Russian site.

I got this picture with two questions from friend of mine. The marks are punched on two candlesticks. All marks are clear except for the maker HE&Co's name and the strange "CAPITAL" mark. Any ideas?
Thank you in advance

HE&Co is Hawksworth, Eyre & Co, a Sheffield company and "Capital" is a known trade mark of theirs.

Phil

OK, thank you, but mind my asking, you write "a Sheffield company". The town mark is, however, Birmingham. Does the company have a subsidiary in Birmingham?

Many of the larger companies registered marks at several assay offices either because they had workshops in other places or because they used other silversmithing companies to produce items on their behalf. I will just remind our readers that the correct term for the maker's mark is "sponsor's mark"; this implies that the mark is that of the person or company who takes responsibility for the piece of silver and is not necessarily the maker.

Other reasons for marks registered with more than one assay office may be that the second assay office is more efficient or has lower charges - it is particularly noticeable that many Birmingham silversmiths used the Chester Assay Office as well as Birmingham.

Phil

OK, thanks...but I still prefer to use the old expression "Maker's Mark" because "Sponsor's Mark" is correct but a modern "invention" and here we are mostly discussing antique silver not contemporary silver. Anyway, much appreciated, thanks again .

Have a nice day
Qrt.S

silvermakersmarks wrote: Other reasons for marks registered with more than one assay office may be that the second assay office is more efficient or has lower charges - it is particularly noticeable that many Birmingham silversmiths used the Chester Assay Office as well as Birmingham.

Phil

Another reason, perhaps, may be found here: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 38&t=50418

Trev.