www.925-1000.com

I inherited a beautiful sterling silver ladle, 12", in its original brown leather box with two small hooks on the front and a blue satin interior. I think I see a lion facing RIGHT, an anchor, and a cat (?). The only other markings on the back of the ladle are the word "Sterling" and "Patent 1802" I am sure of "Patent 18xx" but not of the last two numbers.

Can anyone help me identify this piece, learn about what year it may have come into my family, and where it was made? I am grateful!

Paula

https://imgur.com/a/iaosX0A
https://imgur.com/a/X3W5XBD
https://imgur.com/a/ESvP1RO
https://imgur.com/X20LL0t

I inherited a beautiful sterling silver ladle, 12", in its original brown leather box with two small hooks on the front and a blue satin interior. I think I see a lion facing RIGHT, an anchor, and a cat (?). The only other markings on the back of the ladle are the word "Sterling" and "Patent 1802" I am sure of "Patent 18xx" but not of the last two numbers.

Can anyone help me identify this piece, learn about what year it may have come into my family, and where it was made? I am grateful!

Paula[/quote]

Hi Paula,

Welcome to the Forum.

Please embed your images.

Trev.

Hi,
It was made by American manufacturer Gorham (what you described as a cat is letter G in Old Enslish- Gorthic).
See here:
https://www.925-1000.com/Gorham_Date_Code.html

For Gorham patterns see here:
https://www.sterlingflatwarefashions.co ... rham1.html

Regards

The "18xx" should read as "1868" and sometimes abbreviated as "PAT. 68" ::: This pattern is in the database as "(1865) (Ivy) (Designer: George Wilkinson)" which I was so confused because my spoons read "PAT. 68" so why would the Gorham database say that this was patented in 1865 and not 1868? :::

This time period marks a shift from "coin silver" (90% solid silver) to "sterling silver" (92.5% solid silver) so if your ladle/spoons have only the "LION ANCHOR G" and not the "STERLING" hallmark then they would most likely be coin silver. Maybe the first production of this Ivy pattern was done in coin silver (1865) and then a few years later it was manufactured in sterling silver and officially patented in 1868? Maybe it was patented twice just to establish the new sterling standard in the patent of 1868? ::::

Searching the database takes a long time and it's easy to miss the pattern you are searching for, but a quick search for "Gorham Ivy Pattern" will lead you to examples which seem to be more dessert and coffee-serving and pie-serving in nature. It seems like you have a set for the serving of fruit compote or berries from 1865-1867 when the coin silver standard was still being used for this pattern. :

:::: So your piece does have the word "STERLING" on it, I was only looking at the pictures on my phone which didn't have the word "STERLING" but now I see the text so your pieces do all have the word "STERLING" printed on them, I miss text entries when I look at this website on my phone for some reason. :::::

:::: I still don't fully understand the two years (1865, 1868) and also I don't understand how this pattern is associated with the "Egyptian Revival" that was going on in silversmithing during this time, but there are sources who claim this pattern has themes of ancient Egypt in it, which I don't understand. ::::

This is the 1868 patent for your ladle's pattern:






~Cheryl