Enquiry

Dear Pewter Society,

I would be most grateful if you could date this piece of pewter of mine.  I have tried myself but without success.

Wendy

Resident in Canberra, Australia.

Answer from the enquiry team

Thanks for the very clear image which allows me to identify the maker as John Batt & Co Ltd working at 14 Sycamore Street, Sheffield. As they became a Limited Company in 1896 we can date the manufacture to between 1896 and 1938.

I hope you enjoy owning this part of our history.

The assessment below is based on the best information available to us at present, but we cannot guarantee its accuracy as we have not inspected the item, and our knowledge of pewter and pewterers is constantly expanding.  It is for your personal information only and any information given cannot be used in connection with the sale or offer for sale of any item about which the information is solicited.

Whilst our service is free, the database we use to answer your query costs us a considerable amount of money a year to run.  If you would like to make a small donation towards this cost (preferably in pounds sterling), you can do so via PayPal to treasurer@pewtersociety.org and we'll be very grateful!

We were pleased to receive your enquiry.  We welcome new members and if you would like to join our Society, full details can be found on our website: www.pewtersociety.org .  We post some enquiries anonymously in the "recent enquires" section of our website, and we hope you won't mind if we select yours for this.

ENQUIRY

Hi Pewter Society 

I attach herewith two photos of a pewter dish which looks like it may well have been a planter or a fruit bowl perhaps, and it has two worn marks on the base which appeared to say f d l. 

 I have been unable to find any info online for FDL and wonder if you may be able to help me identify it ? 

 It is approximately 1ft across at the top and the base is 6 inches.  It is about 6 inches high.

 I am in the south east UK.

 Thank you ! 

 Debbie 

Answer from the enquiry team

Dear Debbie

Thanks for the images.

Your lovely bowl was made in Belgium in the mid 19th century by Franciscus De Leeuw (1800-1863) working in Brussels.

I hope you enjoy your find.

The assessment above is based on the best information available to us at present, but we cannot guarantee its accuracy as we have not inspected the item, and our knowledge of pewter and pewterers is constantly expanding.  It is for your personal information only and any information given cannot be used in connection with the sale or offer for sale of any item about which the information is solicited.

Whilst our service is free, the database we use to answer your query costs us a considerable amount of money a year to run.  If you would like to make a small donation towards this cost (preferably in pounds sterling), you can do so via PayPal to treasurer@pewtersociety.org and we'll be very grateful!

We were pleased to receive your enquiry.  We welcome new members and if you would like to join our Society, full details can be found on our website: www.pewtersociety.org .  We post some enquiries anonymously in the "recent enquires" section of our website, and we hope you won't mind if we select yours for this.

Enquiry

Dear Sir or Madam:

I would appreciate your telling me the meaning of the hallmarks on the pewter tankard shown in the attached photos. The tankard is 6 5/8” tall and 4” in diameter.

The base of the tankard reads, “Harp Inn, Waltham Abbey.”  Do you think that this indicates ownership by the Harp Inn? Was “Harp Inn, Waltham Abbey” placed on the tankard at the time the tankard was made? 

What is the meaning of the three script initials on the front of the tankard? The first initial appears to be a W.  I cannot read the succeeding two letters.  Do you think that the initials indicate the tankard’s individual owner?

 I recently purchased this tankard at auction in Massachusetts for my own collection.

 Thank you for help with this.

 Kind regards,

 Edward 

Answer from the enquiry team

Dear Edward

Thanks for your enquiry 4 October about your pewter mug with its U shaded body and broken style handle. This was most likely made by James Edwards working at Clerkenwell Road, London 1881-1901. There are several James Edwards who were from a family of pewterers and they all used the same hallmarks; rampant lion/griffin head/sword/ initials JE.

It is likely that the Harp Inn, Waltham Abbey was the first owner as public houses often put their names on the mugs to deter pilfering.

The engraved initials on the front of the body are those of a previous owner. Victorian engraving is often difficult to read!

I hope you enjoy your find.

The assessment above is based on the best information available to us at present, but we cannot guarantee its accuracy as we have not inspected the item, and our knowledge of pewter and pewterers is constantly expanding.  It is for your personal information only and any information given cannot be used in connection with the sale or offer for sale of any item about which the information is solicited.

 Whilst our service is free, the database we use to answer your query costs us a considerable amount of money a year to run.  If you would like to make a small donation towards this cost (preferably in pounds sterling), you can do so via PayPal to treasurer@pewtersociety.org and we'll be very grateful!

We were pleased to receive your enquiry.  We welcome new members and if you would like to join our Society, full details can be found on our website: www.pewtersociety.org .  We post some enquiries anonymously in the "recent enquires" section of our website, and we hope you won't mind if we select yours for this.

ENQUIRY

I have just come from your wonderful site which is an amazing reference tool, yet sadly, despite my searching, I cannot find anything on these marks...
I hope you might be able to shed some light, but also hope it's helpful to you as an addition to your reference library.
I assume the item is pewter, possibly silver plated, and a small christening cup ?
Again, assume it to be be very old maybe 1700's - 1800's ?
Anything you can add to this please ?

Answer from the enquiry team

Thanks for your enquiry about your charming mug.

This was made by John Round & Son in Sheffield, England in the period 1863-1886 when the JR & S mark was accompanied by the four tridents mark. It is made from Britannia metal which is a lead free form of pewter often electroplated with silver.

I hope you enjoy owning this part of your family’s history.

The assessment above is based on the best information available to us at present, but we cannot guarantee its accuracy as we have not inspected the item, and our knowledge of pewter and pewterers is constantly expanding.  It is for your personal information only and any information given cannot be used in connection with the sale or offer for sale of any item about which the information is solicited.

Whilst our service is free, the database we use to answer your query costs us a considerable amount of money a year to run.  If you would like to make a small donation towards this cost (preferably in pounds sterling), you can do so via PayPal to treasurer@pewtersociety.org and we'll be very grateful!

We were pleased to receive your enquiry.  We welcome new members and if you would like to join our Society, full details can be found on our website: www.pewtersociety.org .  We post some enquiries anonymously in the "recent enquires" section of our website, and we hope you won't mind if we select yours for this.

ENQUIRY

Dear Pewter Society,

Recently I bought Large dish. Do you have any idea who’s the maker designer? And is the dish original?

If there are any costs associated with your assessment, I would be happy to reimburse them.

This is the advertisement:

Large dish pewter, England, triple reed, 50.5 cm, ca 1680

Remarkably large pewter bowl, 'triple reed charger', around 1680, England, diameter 50.5 cm = c. 20 inches. edge height approx. 4 cm.

Marked on the edge: 4 hallmarks, the last: shield with 'IG'. The initials I G are also stamped separately in the edge.

Triple reed: the richly profiled edge. Good old color, so not sanded!, traces of use.

Two round, no longer legible marks in the edge of the reverse.

Regards,

Erik 

The Netherlands

Dear Erik

Thanks for your enquiry 27 November about your recent acquisition.

This is a pewter charger made by John Gisburne who was working in London from 1691. It carries his hallmarks of fleu-de-lys/Britannia/rose flower/initials IG.

We know little about him other than he was the son of a pewterer Robert Gisburne (working London from 1662). As his pieces are quite rare, we would like with your permission to retain these images as an example of his work on our database?

I hope you enjoy your find.

The assessment above is based on the best information available to us at present, but we cannot guarantee its accuracy as we have not inspected the item, and our knowledge of pewter and pewterers is constantly expanding.  It is for your personal information only and any information given cannot be used in connection with the sale or offer for sale of any item about which the information is solicited.

Whilst our service is free, the database we use to answer your query costs us a considerable amount of money a year to run.  If you would like to make a small donation towards this cost (preferably in pounds sterling), you can do so via PayPal to treasurer@pewtersociety.org and we'll be very grateful!

We were pleased to receive your enquiry.  We welcome new members and if you would like to join our Society, full details can be found on our website: www.pewtersociety.org .  We post some enquiries anonymously in the "recent enquires" section of our website, and we hope you won't mind if we select yours for this.

ENQUIRY

Good morning,

I was hoping that you may be able to help me with identifying the age and maker of this very old pewter bowl that I acquired in a box of items from a car boot sale recently.

I have attached photographs of the bowl including close-up images of what marks are stamped on the bottom.

I'm not a trader, an antiques dealer neither am I planning to sell the item as it is something that's going to go into my small collection of unusual things that I come across when I go to car boot sales and auctions.

The bowl is 9 inches in diameter and two and a half inches deep.

The identification marks on the underside of the bowl show a stamp where you can make out the word 'MADE' in the top left hand corner with a column going down with under the letter M and beneath that column you can make out three letters 'LON', which I'm assuming is London? Separate to this stamp are four glyphs... you can only identify clearly the letters 'I.T' which is on the right-hand side... to the left of that what looks like somebody sitting on a throne... the first two glyphs aren't very clear at all... the photos I've sent you is as clear as I can get them.

I appreciate you taking your time in reading this email and I'm hoping that you can help me identify the age and maker of this item... many many thanks.

Answer from the enquiry team

Dear Matthew

Thanks for your enquiry 28 November about your recent find.

This pewter bowl was made by John Townsend working at Fenchurch Street, London 1748-1801.

It carries his detrited hallmarks which are in full lamb/lion face/Britannia/initials I T. In those times Js were written as Is. There is also part of what could be a Made in London mark. The same marks were used by the Townsend and Reynolds partnership 1767-1770.

I hope you enjoy your find!

The assessment above is based on the best information available to us at present, but we cannot guarantee its accuracy as we have not inspected the item, and our knowledge of pewter and pewterers is constantly expanding.  It is for your personal information only and any information given cannot be used in connection with the sale or offer for sale of any item about which the information is solicited.

Whilst our service is free, the database we use to answer your query costs us a considerable amount of money a year to run.  If you would like to make a small donation towards this cost (preferably in pounds sterling), you can do so via PayPal to treasurer@pewtersociety.org and we'll be very grateful!

We were pleased to receive your enquiry.  We welcome new members and if you would like to join our Society, full details can be found on our website: www.pewtersociety.org .  We post some enquiries anonymously in the "recent enquires" section of our website, and we hope you won't mind if we select yours for this.