Featured Idle silver question

Yep, agree with all above with furniture as well. Let the piece be would be my advice, it's not it's fault it got altered permanently, just another bump in the road during it's history only this time it can't be repaired or restored to it's original form.
"Real" collectors will know the difference and adjust price accordingly plus, the piece still has value to beginners just starting out.

 

If it has been altered from what it was originally, then those marks are an inadequate indicator of what the item has become.

That link you posted speaks of berry spoons, apparently a common Victorian-ization of 18th C spoons into a type that did not exist in the 18th C. How can you justify keeping the marks that say such a piece is 18th C? Talk about confusion...

 

MOS, it's STILL an 18th century piece, it was altered in the 19th century, stuff happens over time.

 

Well, I do know what you're saying, but at the very least, it should be made clear that the alteration has taken place. I do think that if it was made clear, it would knock the stuffing out of the price.

Remember that civil war secretary you talked about long ago? Wasn't that a genuine civil war era piece with some tweaks to the decoration?

 

Hi,
It is like a house. My first one was built 1680s redone in the 1860s but the house was still 200 years old.
greg

 

In a case like that, there is the expectation of upgrades. Lack of upgrades would probably be detrimental to the value.