Help with identifying antique money clip

I pick this up at a local shop, it has a design that looks like art deco, stamped "sterling silver" but that's all. Took it to a coin dealer, he tested it above .925 but below argentium, he couldn't tell me who may have made it.

 

nice fingers....

I don't see Deco, but more eyes will show up !
In the meantime...please show us the markings.....like flat on a black cloth, for better resolution !!

 

Australian makers sometimes use Sterling Silver or abbreviations thereof as shown in the Australian marks shown on the page in this link.

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

 

Can you show the stamp please, the style is a clue.

 

The design is not Art Deco. It is an older design, but still replicated because of its appeal.

Whereabouts is local, James? General area, if you'd rather not be specific.

The mark does look like it could be Australian, but other former British colonies often use(d) similar marks.

 

And it even shows up on smalls in the U.K.

 

I think you could call that design "foliate."

 

Whereabouts is local, James? General area, if you'd rather not be specific.[/QUOTE]

In Chicago.

 

The fact it could be British is even stranger that it's missing a hallmark.

 

Can you take a better photo of the front? It looks like something is odd with the engraving in the top photo.

 

Looks like it is roughly 'scooped out', for lack of a better term.

 

It’s a bit of a myth that all British silver, or for that matter gold, has full hallmarks. Or any at all for that matter.

 

Sure, here's higher rez one.

 

Nothing Art Deco about that, to my eye.
Nice item, though!

 

It appears to be a cast "copy" of an original possibly made by a student/hobbyist,etc. The original was hammer and chisel engraved some what poorly.Nothing unusual about it being over 925,many casters add a bit of fine silver from previous cast 925 sprues when casting new projects. The leaves seem to be someone's attempt of achantus leaves.

 

Thanks, do you think it's 19th or 20th century?

 

This type of money clip is 20th century.
The concept as such is much older.

 

I like this money clip, but can't help with who would have made it. I would, however, like to learn more from @Hollyblue about how a person can tell if an item is a cast copy since I'm in the process of going through my vintage silver jewelry to identify makers, origin, etc.

In the case of this money clip, when I click on the photo to enlarge it, I can see every sharp chisel mark even in the tiny cross hatching, so I would never have guessed it was a cast copy. I'm wondering what are the clues Holly is seeing that this is a cast copy.

 

There are casting bubbles on the surfaces and engraved lines.I circled a few....