3 silver(?) items

Three more “finds” that belonged to my great-grandmother from my mom’s cabinet of odds and ends.

1) Old Sheffield Plate platter. A tag tucked into old correspondence with an antiques dealer says “Jules Golding & Co. Old Sheffield Plate, 1820”. We think the tag corresponds to this platter, because it is Old Sheffield plate and the time frame seems right (in the style of others from this period). What do you think?

2) Silver or Silver plate box? I’m not finding the mark. Does anyone recognize the mark? It’s likely from England.


3) I think these candlesticks are Old Sheffield Plate, based on examples online. Thoughts on age?

Box:

Candlesticks:

Tray:

 

The box is silver plated. Made by Crescent Silverware Mfg. Co. With the wooden lining it's probably for tobacco products - cigars?

https://www.925-1000.com/silverplate_C2.html

Is there a mark on the tray?

 

And what about the candlesticks? I think we need more views of the candlestick to assess age and whether Old Sheffield Plate.

 

How did you determine that the tray was Old Sheffield Plate? Did it have to do with the correspondence?

 

No, there is no mark on the tray. But from what I have read, that’s consistent with old Sheffield plate.

 

But why do you think the tray is OSP? And you said you knew the maker? Was that information in the correspondence?

 

It was mostly based on seeing other almost identical trays like this, the way there is a ridge on the underside (see picture), the solid silver in the middle for engraving. The old sales tag and letters seem to back it up.

 

See reply below. We know she purchased a lot of Old Sheffield plate from the letters and the tag included in the letters.

Based on photos of 1820 Old Sheffield Plate online, it’s definitely of that style.

That’s all I got. Open to other opinions.

 

Sure!

 

Is that last picture the bottom?

 

The tag was in the correspondence, not attached to the tray.

 

I’m sorry! I neglected that!

 

Ah. I misunderstood your earlier reference to Golding. He was the dealer she bought the tray from, I take it? Do you know when that was?

 

Yes, that was the dealer.

Because she bought multiple similar items at different dates, it’s hard to know the date of purchase for sure. But it was purchased from an antique dealer (as far as we can tell), not new.

 

Sorry if it seems like I'm giving you the third degree. We very rarely get OSP here (both the in US and on the Forum.) Much more likely is a query from an inexperienced person who saw Sheffield on an item and assumed it was Old Sheffield Plate after almost no research.

It's very nice you've got such nice things from your Great Grandmother.

 

I have an old book about Sheffield Plate that was published in 1913 by Bertie Wyllie. Lots of historical info on the invention of the process and it's evolution, markings, makers and plenty of illustrations. Unfortunately most of the pictures of items are from the earliest period (pre-1800) so there isn't anything to compare to your tray or candlestick.

 

That’s so interesting! Thanks for sharing - I’ll see if I can still find that book, it sounds like an interesting read.

 

I got my copy at a local yard sale for a buck or two (as I recall.)

 

Hot damn, that's a lucky find! People round here tend to throw away their old books, and it makes me sad!

 

And that book goes for more than $1! :- ) ($30.)