Silver Barbour S.P. Co Container?

Can anyone tell me anything about this piece? I am trying to find out an approximate value. I don't know if it is silver or just silver plated.

This was found at my grandparents house.

The bottom says "Barbour S.P. Co. International S. Co 3753"

 

Welcome, Alc... plenty of silver brainiacs here!

 

Silverplated, alc. Rainwater's Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers says that this "half circle mark" was first used in 1921, but not registered until 1923.

It's a handled vase - the vase part being in a trumpet shape.

 

This site also quotes the 1921 date for "first use."

http://www.sterlingflatwarefashions.com/SPMfgs/SPB1.html

 

thank you!

 

I agree with silverplate. If it was real silver, it'd have a mark on it somewhere.

 

You're very welcome, Alc!

If it were sterling in the US, made in the 20's as this was, it would say sterling near the mark. If I recall correctly, the US law regarding silver marking (sort of a "consumer protection" law of the day) was passed in 1906.

The gray area of time between solid or plated (without the words showing somewhere) is in roughly the mid-1800s, after plating started to be used and before the supply of silver grew because of western discoveries. By 1880, there was enough silver around for the term sterling to become widespread. Before roughly 1850, most makers of solid silver items used .900 - the so-called coin silver, except in Baltimore where the English sterling standard of .925 was the rule.

 

Unlike Europe and Britain, America didn't have standard hallmarking services (it still doesn't).

Hallmarking and silver purity varied from state to state across the Union. Hell, it even varied from city-to-city WITHIN states. So it could be very confusing.

 

Technically, there is no equivalent to "hallmarking" here at all - never has been - which I know causes consternation for our British cousins.

If I only had a nickel for every person I have had to correct about the use of the term "hallmark."

 

Strictly speaking, America has never had an ACTUAL hallmarking system. It didn't even have a fineness grading system.

At the moment it has a fineness system (which I believe is 925 Sterling), but that doesn't equate to actual hallmarking because the silver isn't sent to an actual assay hall to be marked.

 

Preaching to the choir? I said "no equivalent....never has been."

Let's not pick nits, shall we?

 

Fineness of American coin silver varied not by area, other than Baltimore, as Bakersgma mentioned (from 1814-1830, standard .917 - assay required; from 1830-1850s, standards .896, .917, and .925 - no assay required) - the fineness varied by the source of the silver used, whether coins which varied in fineness by origin and age (most often Spanish), or melted down pieces (which also varied in origin and fineness), or stock from refiners. Most American manufacturers held to a sterling standard by the late 1860s, though coin was still used by some.

There were much earlier coinage acts defining legal fineness, but the National Stamping Act of 1906 set the U.S. standards for silver products at minimum .900 for coin and minimum .925 for sterling, it is not required that silver be marked, only that if marked, it must meet those standards (but it's unlikely that a manufacturer would not mark their wares), a 1961 amendment required presence of a registered trademark if a standard mark was stamped. Any regulation is by the Federal Trade Commission.

Not sure exactly what is meant by no 'fineness grading system', American assayers determined fineness as anywhere else - and there are numerous other countries, even in Europe, that don't require assay, or hallmarks...

~Cheryl

 

The UK is about the only nation that has seriously comprehensive and standard hallmarks done by assay offices. And they're the oldest. There's been a hell of a row about the proposals to water them down.

 

PHEW!!!!! Glad that's over with.........although it WAS very informative!!!

Oh, and WELCOME Alc!!!! I love your handled vase!!! Very pretty!!!!

 

Thank you. I have many more very neat pieces I would like to post. My grandparents have passed away, and they have many items that have been passed down for generations... I am trying to get some information on them to share with my mom. We do plan on getting appraisals on some things.

 

Always glad to help, Alc. Silverplated, or suspected to be, can also be posted in the Silver section here. We don't stand on ceremony.