Help with Sterling Tongs

Hello friends, These little tongs were part of my mother in law's estate, she lived to be 98. I am trying to research these tongs, and having a hard time referencing the pattern, age and such. I don't see any markings except the cursive letters at the top, RD...as well the base of them is wider than what google has been able to bring up in sugar cube tongs, antique or vintage. They were with other sterling flatware, yet no other with this pattern. They are sterling, as the slight tarnish on them, which I will clean and polish, which I am not a huge fan of....appreciate you taking the time and hopefully pointing me in the right direction...

 

Pretty asparagus tongs! No marking inside? Not even partial?

 

Nothing I can see, I might have to clean and polish in hope to find something

 

The cursive letters are some previous owner's monogram. Did she leave you any other sterling flatware? Even if those are not the same pattern as this one, you might want to make a list of the makers so we can check the patterns made by them. I have noticed in my own family's flatware, that the same makers come up over and over again.

 

Initials inside the tongs...Old English...looks like it says "BMN".....can you see them?? OOOPS....looks like @Bakersgma answered before I got to post after editing!!! NO, WAIT....she's referring to CURSIVE on TOP, I'm referring to INSIDE on the edge of the tongs......my reference is from the .PDF attached doc with the image inside!

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Inside a handle or inside a grabber, @Aquitaine ?

 

@Bakersgma, DOWN inside the end of the tongs themselves.... upside down...NOT the handle.....let me post more of the image....AT LEAST IT looks like BMN to me....

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I will clean them this evening and hopefully something will show up…thank you so much for all the information you have shared so far, and I am in the process of making a list of sterling flatware to see if anything matches and comes up.

 

Be very gentle when you're cleaning tonight. It shouldn't take too much vigor to see whether that's an actual mark or not.

 

Bakersgma, unfortunately the dark part was tarnish...I cleaned them and there is nothing of the marking...next step is for me to look through the remaining sterling flatware in hope that patteren shows up on another utensil, knife, fork, etc...

 

Here are image...

 

There are no marks at all? If so, why are you sure they're sterling rather than silverplate?

~Cheryl

 

You have a point Cheryl, this was from my mother in laws estate, it came in large cotton bags with flatware, marked silver....I will have to look through the other flatware in hope to match the pattern...A friend of mine who is a silversmith, aslo said she thinks its sterling...Thanks for your reply, it could be that this is silverplate....