Featured silver fork I can't find the bloody thing!

Hi all have this fork tried searching for marks to no avail anyone have any ideas of age and origin please. 250mm long same single hallmark on handle thanks chris

 

what's the matter you can't read australian

 

Only Strine.
Now why did you change it, itwasfubn.

 

now I can't remember what I wrtote

 

found it prime I think still searching

 

Itsstill in mypnost ahbove.

Yes, Prime.

 

oooh yyyeaah to busy misspelling

 

trying to find year 1868 maybe
I know it's only plate but any collectors for this maker at all also what sort of fork is it salad?

 

@Bakersgma will know.

 

British "date letters" for sterling do not apply to plated items. There are a very few makers of plated wares that developed their own internal dating schemes which have been documented, but if Thomas Prime had one, I am unaware of it.

The only possible (and rather general) clue in the marks on your fork would be the MP (if that's what it is on the left.) "Magneto Plating" was a method developed by Prime and first used in 1851. So it should be later than that.

 

Here's examples of Thomas Primes' marks at silvercollection (sorry I don't see a button to insert the link so you'll have to type it in! Any help on this please?!)

http://www.silvercollection.it/ENGLAPRIME.html

 

Okay - see that the link came in like it should once I posted it!

 

It did, and works nicely. The blue only shows when you've actually posted it, before that you just see a lot of senseless babble, but it always works out.

 

Might be a bread fork. In times of old you speared your bread roll from a basket rather than just using your hand.

 

Looks to me like an unmarried fork that was part of a fine sterling fish knife/fork serving set. This style was very popular for late Victorian times. Here's a set for example on the Bryan Douglas site:
http://www.bryandouglas.co.uk/silverware/fish_servers/d0670/d0670a.htm

 

It's too bad this one isn't sterling.

 

I'm with you detail is quite nice once polished thanks to everyone for links etc looks like they quality stuff. chris

 

Absolutely gorgeous detail! I have a beautifully detailed fish knife (blade part looks like a dolphin) without the matching fork that I purchased because it was so unique/exquisite!

 

Looks like a Cold Meat fork