Featured Need help with this vase/urn I found today

Greetings all. I bought this one totally expecting it to be a dud, since it didn't have an obvious mark. I paid less than $3 so it was worth the gamble. I took it home and acid tested it four times (in the same spot) and it came back time and time again as silver. I'm hoping someone can clue me in to where it might have been made or the mark (I know it's not much of a mark). I actually bought it thinking the mark could be 900 (only seeing two zeros of course). Thanks and here are some photos:

 

Well, somebody thought enough of it to engrave with their Social Security Number. But the handles are quite poorly cast. That (very) partial mark is doing nothing for me.

 

It was made someplace where quality control doesn't matter or a very bad repair job.The overheated solder joint on the neck seam and the seam at the bottom of the handles.

 

Here’s a photo of three acid tests, all scraped from the same spot (much deeper than any plating could be)

 

I don't find it very convincing but hey, photos can be deceiving. All I see in your mark is a star. When I see a star I think Spain so that's all I've got.

 

What is this here? Looks like a hallmark of some kind.

 

Sadly not another hallmark, it’s just a drop of water from me polishing the silver.

 

By the look of the piece and what can be seen of the mark, would suggest looking at South America, perhaps Colombia, their marks often incorporate a shield shape...

~Cheryl

 

Thank you Cheryl!

 

Name: Clyde W. Taylor
SSN: 212343441--
Last Residence:
21012 Arnold, Anne Arundel, Maryland, USA
BORN: 7 Nov 1904
Died: 3 Jun 1988

 

It would seem there is a Columbia connection :


From the JFK library :
?
SEARCH



Digital Identifier:
JFKCAMP1960-1022-028-p0001
Folder Title:
Religious literature: Taylor, Dr. Clyde W.
Date(s) of Materials:
Undated
Folder Description:
This folder contains a pamphlet titled, "The Fate of Protestants in Colombia," by Dr. Clyde W. Taylor concerning religious persecution in Colombia.
Collection:
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Pre-Presidential Papers. Presidential Campaign Files, 1960
Finding Aid | Digitized Content
Click to Copy Direct Link
View more folder information >

About Folder
Digital Identifier:
JFKCAMP1960-1022-028
Title:
Religious literature: Taylor, Dr. Clyde W.
Date(s) of Materials:
Undated
Folder Description:
This folder contains a pamphlet titled, "The Fate of Protestants in Colombia," by Dr. Clyde W. Taylor concerning religious persecution in Colombia.

 

A little about the former owner of your Urn / Vase


EVANGELICAL GROUP FOUNDER CLYDE W. TAYLOR DIES




Clyde W. Taylor, 83, one of the founders and a former director general of the National Association of Evangelicals, an organization of missionary-oriented, non-mainline churches and individuals, died of cancer June 3 at his home in Arnold, Md.

Dr. Taylor came to Washington in 1944 to become secretary of public affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, which has a constituency estimated at 10 million. He became director general in 1963 and he retired in 1976. Simultaneously he was executive d
irector of the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association.

He also was a founder and a member of the boards of directors of the World Relief Commission, the World Evangelical Fellowship and the National Association of Religious Broadcasters, and was a member of the board of the American Bible Society.

He wrote several articles and books on world missions, and was a recipient of the World Relief Commission's "Helping Hands Award."

In 1968, Christian Herald magazine described him as "one of America's 10 most powerful Protestants."

A native of Fort Smith, Ark., Dr. Taylor was reared in Phoenix. He attended Nyack Missionary Institute in New York and graduated from Gordon College, where he also received a degree in divinity. He earned a master's degree in Spanish literature at Boston University. He held honorary
doctorates from Western Baptist College, Malone College and Houghton College. In 1958 he was named the Gordon College Alumnus of the Year.

Before moving to Washington he had been a missionary in Peru and Colombia and pastor of First Baptist Church in Quincy, Mass.

At his retirement, Dr. Taylor moved to Arnold. He was a member of Kiwanis on Severn and Heritage Baptist Church in Annapolis. He was a former member and interim pastor at what is now Capitol Baptist Church in Washington.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Ruth Taylor of Arnold; three daughters, Orletta Gillikin of Arnold, Darlene Tate of Annapolis and Carolyn Thompson of Orlando, Fla.; a son, Clyde D. Taylor, who is the U.S. ambassador to Paraguay and who lives in Asuncion; one brother, the Rev. Harold Taylor of Osage Lake, Mo.; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

 

Very interesting article about this person, I'm just curious though, what links him to this vase/urn that you found in your research?

 

Wow, I pieced together exactly what you did.... And this definitely appears to be the previous owner (trust me on this one)... Very interesting article about his son, who was born in Columbia and eventually served as a U.S. Ambassador! Crazy good research, I never would have pieced any of that together.

 

I didn't find much for Columbia marks, the best lead so far is similarities of Argentinian marks, here's one that has a similar style:

http://www.silvercollection.it/WORLDARGENTINA1bis.jpg

 

So far as I know, that 'ATN w/crossed hammers' mark is more likely Colombian than Argentinian, see threads below:

http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=13150

http://925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14061

http://925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17771


This thread shows some information on South American silver:

https://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=35433

~Cheryl

 

This thread took a very interesting turn. Glad that I finally caught up with it.