Chocolate Pot? Silver? Marks? I give up...Help Please?

Hi All,
I bought this 'chocolate pot'? It's the closest info I found in researching. It's 8" tall.The metal could be silver - no magnet will stick. I discolored it with a drop of bleach (I know, dumb). White cloth test - black rubs off. Printing on the bottom is so worn. I can almost make out university. I can also see SIL stamped into it and a very faded crest or logo on the surface. Still, silver doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, I give. If you've a chance please see the photos and share your thoughts. Even an approximate age would be great! Thanks so much! (P.S. I'm new here so if I don't respond, don't be offended, I'm Forum challenged still learning the ropes.)

 

Looks more like pewter to me. All those dents and scrapes. Would not be solid silver in any case. Silver plate was very common in restaurant or hotel ware, so I suppose it's possible.

 

It's silverplate restaurant/hotelware from a 'University Club' somewhere, the beat-up surface is from years of being polished in commercial machines that basically tumble the pieces with bits of metal or other polishing material (plus they get banged up from heavy use as well)...

~Cheryl

 

Thank you, I thought it might be service ware for a university so I was close. I like that it's so banged up. I bought it to use as a vase.

 

I think it says:

PAIRPOINT MFG. CO.
SILVER SOLDERED
a production number including a '2'
32 OZ. (does it hold a quart?)
UNIVERSITY CLUB

The monogram is, of course, a 'UC'...

~Cheryl

 

pewter.

 

Probably formerly silver-plated white metal of whatever composition.

 

Hotelware took a lot of abuse, so it was heavily silverplated on a hard nickel-silver base, any parts like handles, feet, rims, etc. were attached with silver solder.

~Cheryl

 

nice vase !!!!...

 

I'd try to polish it.
probably Britannia metal with antimony for strengthening.

 

You are all so awesome and knowledgeable! Thanks so much for the feedback!

 

Yes, it holds a quart.

 

That was my my first inclination based on the tone. Looks like it might be plain old beat up silver plate based on others replies though.

 

It's hotelware, the manufacturers, including Pairpoint, used sturdy nickel silver base with heavy plating and silver-soldered joints - the 'orange-peel' surface is typical, due to years of polishing in a burnishing machine, which is a basically a large tumbler using steel shot, pins, etc. as media.


1921 ad explaining the manufacture of 'Public Service Silver':





Clip from a 1918 article on the Tahara brand burnisher, showing the machine and the 'Tahara mixture' of balls & pins:




~Cheryl