Marks on old pewter tankard - please help!

Hi,

This (British) pewter tankard is about 9cm tall and was a charity shop find from a while ago. I've struggled with the marks, since I'm not familiar with pewter, and hope someone might be able to help date the tankard, approximately? Also, does it have any value?

There are various marks on the outside rim - some look like they've been over-stamped. The easiest to read is WIV over a Staffordshire knot, with the number 2 underneath. I've searched online for the knot associated with pewter but can only find a couple of images on the National Trust website, with no notes attached.

Inside the mug, on the base (which has seen better days!) there's some lettering that could be 'V & W' and 'INGH', possibly from Birm'ingh'am? Above this there's what looks like a very worn 'X'?

Any help appreciated! I keep coming back to this tankard but can't seem to get very far!

 

Did you try oldcopper.org for the marks?

 

Thanks! I've been through many websites but not that one... looks great, I'll go there now

 

You're welcome, I've found it very useful in the past.

 

I'm traveling at the moment so am not near my pewter references. I can tell you that the WIV probably stands for William IV, King of England... Most English pewter measures and tankards have the reigning monarch's mark like VR for Queen Victoria. Wm. IV reigned in the 1830s. The knot looks like a Straffordshire Knot. I have seen it on English pewter. Of course there is the possibility this is a reproduction.

Following is a page of pewter side spouted measures. A few of them have WIV marking (1st, 2nd, 18th, etc.) and one of them has a knot. Do read the decriptions especially the 1st that mentions Wm. IV, the 18th for a timeframe and the 26th mentions a Straffordshire knot.
It is a *.pdf file requiring Adobe Acrobat reader.
http://www.pewterbank.com/Collecting_-_Side_Spouted_Mugs.Measures_-_13.pdf

I don't know the maker because the maker's touchmark is too badly rubbed. Forget about the "X" That is probably a crowned X mark. It is a British quality mark.

"Plate pewter was marked with a letter’X’ (denoting extraordinary ware), sometimes with a crown above it (1),= or was stamped with the words ‘hard metal ‘or’ superfine hard metal"
http://gaukartifact.com/2013/02/28/touchmarks-on-pewter/

http://www.pewtersociety.org/identify/pewterers-marks/quality-marks

--- Susan

 

Think you have a pint measure since word "pint" is stamped on it, but don't know how many pints since I don't know the dimensions.

Here's the 1903 Redman book on pewter and Sheffield plate:

https://books.google.com/books?id=z...ASa-oCoAg&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

This morning am trying to catch up on the forums. It doesn't appear you have been back to this thread since Thursday morning? I see Spring spotted "Pint." For the life of me I can't see "pint" on any of the pictures, but my eyesight is questionable at best. FWIW, I concur with him - measure.

"A vessel used for measuring or serving liquid. Regulated
by government inspectors who occassionally verified the capacity and placed verification marks on the vessel."

I have scanned through some of my pewter references. As I can't make out the maker's touchmark, this was an exercise in futility. Because of "WIV," I still date it to 1830-1837 as this was the reigning mark of William IV. Believe "WIV" of the reigning monarch is called the verification mark. The "X" would be the quality mark. Your last picture is probably the maker's mark. It looks like an "X" at the top. Some maker's included "X" in their touchmarks; however, few maker's used their touchmarks on measures. Sometimes down inside of the measure on the bottom there may be what is called a "pot mark" or "pot touch." These were sometimes the maker's mark or the mark of the pub owning the measure.

Here is an interesting *.pdf file on Dating Pewter measures/mugs/tankards with a chart. The file is on the Pewterbanks, a reputable pewter website:
http://www.pewterbank.com

According the chart, your measure:
Fillets: Low-middles (1830s-1870s)
Handles: Crank (1800-1840)
Terminal: It could be "Attention," but really can't tell for need to see a pic to the handle straight on. The terminal is the very bottom of the handle that is attached to the body.
Bodies: Could be any number of them for the tiny illustrations given are too small for me to distinguish a difference. Possibilities: Trunc. cone, York, Bristol, Newcastle fillet.

5th up from the bottom has the WIV and knot:
http://www.stileshouseantiques.com/metalware.html

--- Susan

 

I'm sorry for not getting back to this thread earlier - I somehow missed the alerts (and I'm not at my most 'alert' these days!). I do appreciate all the help.

I think I know where Spring sees the "PINT", or at least the "NT"... it's below the 75 B mark, where I can just about make out what-could-be 'Imperial' with "--- NT" below. The mug is about 9cm tall, 6.5cm across the top rim, and 8cm across the base. About the size of a half pint.

Susan, you're a wealth of information! I'm becoming familiar with pewterbank.com (great site) and found the chart you mentioned. Everything you said is spot on... the terminal is definitely "attention". So that all fits with the date of 1830-37. Actually, it's earlier than I realised when I bought it, so a pleasant surprise .

When you say it's a 'measure', what does that mean exactly? Was it used for regular drinking? It's had a hard life, not in the best of condition, and the base has a crack running part way around the edge of it.

The 'pot mark' or 'pot touch' describes the worn marks I can just about see on the base, inside the mug. I almost missed that one, took me quite some time to find it!

Thanks again!

 

Hello,
We have found an old pewter tankard in our garage. Hoping to find out some history about it and where it is from.
Can anyone help please?
On the bottom it says...
CULFONIA - English Pewter (1429)
Thank you!
Amy

 

SQUATTING ANGEL PLAYING A TRUMPET - PEWTER HALLMARK

I recently bought the miniature pewter tankard pictured in the link below because it's an exact replica of a 12 inch one that acquired in Athens, Greece, at a flea market this summer:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/497834...miniature-pewter?show_sold_out_detail=1&frs=1

What's interesting about my pewter steins is that both have a hallmark depicting a squatting angel playing a trumpet. Please see the link's pictures. Although the angel hallmark is common in European pewter objects, the one depicted on my steins does not appear to be on record according to my research. Does anyone have any specific information pertaining to this particular angel mark that could help determine the age and country of origin of my steins?

The tankards' crest is also a mystery. The seller of the miniature told me that he assumed it was an English crest because the angel hallmark was common in England. However, it was also common, and perhaps more generalized, in continental Europe. The Greek flea market seller had no information about the 12 inch stein.