HCG with Pseudo British Hallmarks

[Essexboy Fisher]

Hello, I wondered if some members of the Forum would like to see my recently acquired, probable salt spoon. It is 11 cms long (4 inches and a bit) and has a clear set of interesting pseudo hallmarks on the finial.



Looking around on the net there are not many examples showing a good match to these pseudo hallmarks, except on our own web site. In our reference section “World Marks”, “China” there are “Chinese Export Silver Marks”. Shown there is a very similar set of marks attributed to a Silversmith “Houcheong” of Canton and dated circa 1820-1835. Further looking on line however made things a little less clear. A post on the “SMP, Silver Saloon Forum” references the “Silver Magazine” Jul-Aug 2004, suggesting the possibility that “HC is Hou Cheong working in Canton, 1820-1860". Was this the same silversmith with maybe a later, post Georgian, mark?
I hope there is someone who can expand the information on “Houcheong” and “Hou Cheong” and maybe lessen the confusion as shown in the next image, considering “our” Chinese Export Silver list says “Hung Chong” of Canton and Shanghai used the mark “HC”.



Fishless

[dognose]

Hi Fishless,

Your salt spoon was made by Houcheong, a.k.a. Hou Cheong or Houchong, of New China Street, Canton. This firm is now known to have been in business from c.1820 to c.1890. They used both the 'HC' and 'HCG' marks. The 'HC' was also used by Hung Chong of Shanghai, however, Hung Chong never used pseudo marks and Houcheong only used his 'HC' with pseudo marks.

If I understand correctly:

'HCG' with or without pseudos = Houcheong

'HC' with pseudos = Houcheong

'HC' without pseudos = Hung Chong

Trev.

[Essexboy Fisher]

Thank you Trev, you are a bright Chinese lantern casting light on confusion. Thinking about these changed spellings of names though, it should not be unexpected. We had early 19th century Europeans translating names from a totally different written and no doubt a differently spoken language.

Fishless