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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;afantiques, post: 294110, member: 25&quot;]<b>Bottom-struck</b></p><p><br /></p><p>It may sound a bit kinky, but I assure you that it is a much used term! </p><p><br /></p><p>Hallmarks have moved up and down the reverse side of the stem of spoons over the Centuries. When the<img src="http://www.antiquesilverspoons.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/HMGS_1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> marks are located towards the bowl end at the narrowest part of the shank then they are termed &quot;bottom struck&quot;. The process of striking the marks in this area caused the stem to bulge, so on return from the assay office the spoon maker would have to re-hammer the spoon often resulting in squashed marks that are difficult to read. The damage caused by this method lead in 1781 to the move of the hallmarks to the stem-end, known rather unsurprisingly as <b>top-marking </b>or occasionally as <b>tail-marking.</b> </p><p><br /></p><p>Marks were sometimes mis-struck if the person stamping was less than accurate, resulting in only part of a hallmarks components. Unscrupulous spoon makers could take advantage of bottom marking by not sending the spoon to assay (thus avoiding duty), striking their makers mark four times to simulate hallmarks and re-hammering the stem to make the marks illegible. These spoons are known as <b>duty dodgers </b>and are very collectable.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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