Silver Trumpet Vase?

I found this in an antique/junk store in Maine. I know very little about silver, but it caught my eye because it seemed unlikely to me that you would etch silver plate. Also, it is worn in places and no other metal is showing though.

I figured for $2 I would take it home and look into it more. : -)

The bottom is worn. I can make out an “o” (maybe part of “co”?) and on the next line a 3? or 5? 482.

It’s very pretty and looks handmade, not manufactured.

Thoughts?

 

It is a pretty little thing. Could you post a closeup of the mark please?

 

Tanya, that's a very sweet little vase.

Unfortunately, your photo of the bottom just isn't big or clear enough to make out anything about the markings.

Would it be possible to get a clear, straight-on close-up?

 

I posted some photos below. It’s scratched up from use over the years and only some of the writing is legible. I would love to hear your thoughts!

 

Looks like N-P Co unknown what the middle letter is. The letters and numbers were all hand engraved. Sterling plated items have been engraved for many years.

 

Wouldn’t the metal underneath show through?

There are some fairly significant scratches / chips and no other metal is visible.

 

To my (admittedly old and failing) eyes it looks like chrome or chrome plating, not silver!

 

Interesting! Can you share your logic? How can you tell?

I would love to learn!

 

That doesn't look like a chip/scratch it appears someone took a file to it. If it is plated depending on the base metal it could be hard to tell.

 

Looks like WSP Co to me.

I'm not a silver person, but Google says that stands for Wilcox Silver Plate Co.

 

Maybe. But this looks a little different to me. It looks handmade when you look at the base. And it looks hand engraved on the bottom, not stamped. So it’s a little different than the examples of Wilcox Silver Plate that I’m seeing online.

I will say though, that the more I look at it, the more I think the name was intentionally scratched out, making it likely it is plated and at some point in time someone wanted to pass it off as silver.

I still think it’s a very nice little vase and for $2 I got a great deal : -)

 

Likes I said, I'm not a silver person, so I can't speak to much on the topic.

But for $2, you got a vase you really like and in my world, that's a win.

 

If it is silver, it will be light weight and easy to bend. And usually silver vases of this type are weighted, which this doesn't appear to be.

Silver plate will be on a heavier metal, and not easy to bend.

The fact that someone has scratched the heck out of the bottom, and also gouged it(to test for silver content), should be an indication that it is silver plate. As it ended up in the thrift store, rather than a scrapper.

 

Hand made won't have a model number stamped on it.
Hard to read, but it's there.

 

I’m thinking the same thing too (about the scratches). I didn’t know about bending it. That’s good info to know. Thanks!

I’m still very please with it for $2. It’s a sweet little vase. : -)

 

Depending on how a piece is made,there is no real difference in the hardness of sterling or nickel silver.