Silver flatware

Okay, thank you! That makes sense. I looked again at the pieces I have. There are 10 different things, and I haven't tried to buy more. Three different items have the number 2, which I had not noticed. However, there is a very large ladle that has a 4, though ... compared to smaller pieces, some of which have higher numbers.

Another thought that occurred to me about mine, though, is that these could have been manufactured at somewhat different times. A year or so after buying the six teaspoons I originally got at an antique show, I bought a group of five of the same spoon through eBay. They are the same design, but they have a different "feel" in a way I probably can't describe well. The silver finish seems slightly different, although there could have been some polishing differences through the years. And the ones I first bought seem slightly heavier and thicker. Both sets have a number 6 stamped on each spoon, but the stamp is oriented differently in the two sets. One is stamped parallel with the orientation of the handle, and one is perpendicular.

 

Oh, and I do have a master butter knife, and it is stamped with a 3 as Brad's is.

 

Good question, Fig, for which I have no "answer" other than, there was no regulation of said markings. Totally up to the maker and it would not surprise me to see anomalies. Changes over the "life" of a pattern would be a reasonable explanation.

I just checked in my 2 "miscellaneous" chests (I'm up to 5 total now but that doesn't count the many many boxes upstairs that I can't get to right now.) There aren't many examples from the same period down here and all of those few had the "number" in the same orientation to the handle direction as the maker's stamp. I don't think it means anything to have the numbers the other way.

 

Fig - some variations are due to the pattern mould or stamp or whatever wearing down with time, some have been brought about thru changes in availability of the materials during time of war, etc. And some just aren't made just exactly right!

I have a set of Waterford glasses bought in Ireland many years ago. In 2013, I had to replace two of them () The two that arrived are slightly larger. A fact that I NOTICE every time I use them. Does anyone else? Of course not.

grrrr...