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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Iain Papworth, post: 13140095, member: 115365&quot;]Hello everyone,</p><p><br /></p><p>I am looking for some historical insight or context regarding a late-Victorian silver-plated goblet I recently acquired, which features an interesting early maker&#039;s mark.</p><p><br /></p><p>The underside of the base is distinctly stamped &quot;HARTS THE SILVERSMITHS&quot; and features a small crown pseudo-hallmark stamped directly above the letter &#039;H&#039;. Because of the presence of the crown symbol, my understanding is that this piece dates to a narrow manufacturing window prior to the 1895 British legal restriction that banned silver-platers from utilizing the crown mark to prevent confusion with sterling silver assay offices.</p><p><br /></p><p>I know that the Hart family workshop (intimately connected to C.R. Ashbee&#039;s Guild of Handicraft in Chipping Campden) is world-renowned for its 20th-century and modern hand-hammered sterling silver. However, documentation and catalogued examples of their early, late-19th-century commercial silver-plated barware lines seem incredibly scarce online.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have attached clear daylight photos of the full goblet silhouette, as well as a sharp macro close-up of the stamped base in its current &quot;as-found&quot;, unpolished condition.</p><p><br /></p><p>I would be very grateful if any members here have archival knowledge of this specific early plated retail line, or if you could point me toward any resources documenting Harts&#039; pre-1895 output. I am also curious to know if these early commercial plated lines are actively sought after by regional Arts &amp; Crafts collectors.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thank you in advance for your time and expertise![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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