Featured English Victorian Teaset Makers Mark

Ok. I think I have put the pieces of this puzzle together. These are two different sets. The pieces with the ivory handles 1879 where the other two pieces are 1878. Please note that the Rh marks are slightly different as well.

Thanks you for being patient with me.

 

My mother always said that patience is a virtue.

A couple more things you might want to know.

Since the stamps that create the markings are applied by hand, some difference in both pressure and the nature of the surface on which they are placed is inevitable - the "slight difference" you mention is immaterial. You have a slightly rounded surface on the pot and a flat surface on the bottom, for instance.

The "Year" in British silver marks changes on July 1st not January 1st. So you send a piece to be assayed near the end of June 1879 and it still gets the 1878 mark. Send the next piece on July 1st and it gets the 1879 mark. Having different, but consecutive years is not a big deal.

 

Thanks bakers for furthering my knowledge of british sterling. So, do you feel these are intended as a single set?

 

If the pieces are the 4 you posted a picture of above, from what I can see they do look like they have the same decoration and monogram. That's enough for me to think "a set."

If it's the ivory parts you are questioning - sugar and milk are not hot, like tea and coffee are - so the sugar bowl and creamer would never have ivory wasted on them. Totally unnecessary.

 

Eh shadduppayourface! IS MINE!!