Featured Salt Cellar Hallmark Help

I recently got this nice little salt cellar and would like to ID the maker and date. That may be wishful thinking considering the worn or weak marks. I’ve assumed it is British, could be mistaken there though. I’ve also assumed the makers mark is WH, though it could be HM I suppose. I keep going back to the William Hope of Exeter mark, though there’s at least a handful of others it could be. Maybe someone here will see something I’m not seeing? The date code appears to be an “h”. The other two marks are too poor to make out for me. I assume one is a duty mark and the other the lion fineness mark for sterling. The cobalt liner doesn’t have a pontil mark. So maybe it can’t be as old as William Hopes work? Maybe a later replacement? Any idea when cobalt liners were introduced on salts?

 

If you can take much closer, focused pictures of the 3 partial marks, it may be possible to figure out what's what.

 

It is very cute, J.
Not sure it helps, I cropped and tweaked it a bit. It looks like it could be William Hope, but I don't see the fineness mark or the Exeter mark.

 

Thanks!

 

I’m not sure if these are better photos, but here they are. They are closer if nothing else

 

Those are some badly rubbed marks, but suspect you're looking at a London, 1783 cauldron salt, no idea on the maker, and no reason the liner couldn't be original...

~Cheryl

 

Played a bit with what can be made out of the marks - this is a set of clear 1783 marks on a Robert Hennell I piece, with comparisons to your marks below:











And some images of other 1783 London marks:



http://www.ascasonline.org/articoloGENNA142.html


~Cheryl

 

Oh wow!!!! Thanks!!!!! I’m just seeing your replies now, I missed the alerts somehow. You shouldn’t have, but I really appreciate your photo work here. It looks like you’re correct in regards to the hallmarks! I knew it was a nice little salt when I bought it for twenty something dollars but not that it was 18th c.

 

I can see a duty head, too, I think. Lovely.

 

Thanks! Wait where do you see it? I thought there might be one too, until Dragonfly pointed out that it was likely the London lion city mark. Are you seeing a fifth mark?

 

No - I may be seeing what Cheryl has id'd as the leopard head (not lion). I think I agree with her.

 

Ah right, right. Wrong cat. Thanks! I thought the same thing initially.