AAA Silver Spoon

Q: I’m curious about a spoon I picked up at a garage sale years ago. It has what appears to be the AAA (American Automobile Association) logo on the handle. The spoon is 6 inches long and is marked “International Silver Co.” Was this part of a set or given as a promotion? Can you tell me the age and value of the spoon?

A: This looks like one of the early silver plate patterns made by International Silver Co. of Meriden, Connecticut. It might be the 1912 pattern called “Cromwell.” International Silver Co. started in 1898 when several American silver manufacturers joined together. After several changes, the company became part of Lifetime Brands in 2006. The American Automobile Association was founded in 1902 when nine motor clubs joined together. Your spoon could have been part of a set of flatware used at club functions. Most silver-plated spoons sell for under $10. Spoons with monograms usually sell for less, but the club monogram might appeal to a car enthusiast.

Silver Plate Vase

Q: I’d like to know who made this vase and what its value is. It’s been passed down in the family, though I don’t know how much of the information is true. My mother’s great aunt received a dozen long stem roses in it on her wedding night. I’ve been told it’s circa 1898 and is pewter. There is an embossed design on the handle and on the top of the vase. It’s about 8 3/8 inches high, not counting the handle, and about 15 inches to the top of the handle. The handle swings back and forth and is not in a fixed upright position. It has this mark on the bottom with the initials “EPNS” on the shield and “L” and “B” below that.

A: Your vase, or flower basket, is silver plate, not pewter. It was made by Lehman Brothers Silverware Corp. of New York City. The company made silverplated hollowware. The initials “EPNS” stand for “electroplated on nickel silver.” A thin layer of silver is plated onto the base metal (an alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel) using an electric current. The silver can eventually wear off because it’s so thin. You can try using silver polish to see if the dull finish is from tarnish. If the silver is worn off, it can be replated but might not be worth the cost. In perfect condition, with the silver intact, it might be worth $50. In worn condition, it would be much less but still has sentimental value.

Villedieu Copper Pitcher

Q: I purchased this copper pitcher from a person who kept detailed records of what he had and when and where he bought or received it. His index card in the pitcher stated it was a museum quality gift from a friend. There is a faint mark on the bottom that looks like “Villecieu.” I would be grateful for any information about this pitcher.

 

A: The backstamp is “Villedieu” and means the pitcher was made in Villedieu-les-Poêles, a village in France that was the center of copper making. Copper and brass pots, pans, tools, and other items were made. The French name of the village translates to “God’s Town of the Frying Pans.” At one time there were over 100 copper workshops in Villediue. There are only two workshops and a bell manufacturer in the town today. A study by the French Academy of Sciences made in 1761 found many of the older workers were deaf because of the loud noise made by continually hammering copper, and “the hair of those who are fair-haired takes on a greenish colour; but they suffer no inconvenience.” Copper pitchers like this are not rare but are decorative. A large pitcher like yours can be found for under $100.

 

Copper Tray

Q: I own a very old square copper tray. It’s very beautiful. It has a symbol of a running bird on the underside. It originally came from Europe, possibly Vienna. Who made it?

 

A: This running ostrich mark was used by WMF, the Wurtemberg Metalware Factory, from about 1925 to about 1930. The company traces its beginnings to 1853 with the establishment of the Straub & Schwiezer Metaware Factory in Geislingen, Germany. It  merged with Ritter & Co. in Esslingen, Germany, to form the Wurtemberg Metalware Factory in 1880. The company made pewter and silver-plated tableware and cutlery. It is still in business, now part of the WMF Group, making products for cooking, baking, eating and drinking for consumers, hotels and restaurants.

 

Spanish Ship Bookends

Q: Would you please tell me about my bookends? I am 89 years old and I have had them for many years. They are metal ships with sails. The backs are marked with a C inside a triangle inside a circle and the words “Spanish Galleon, COPR 1928” with a C inside a triangle inside a circle. Age and worth if you can, please?

A: Your bookends depict Galleons—heavy square-rigged Spanish sailing ships of the 15th to early 18th centuries. The mark indicates the bookends were made by the Connecticut Foundry in Rocky Hill, Conn., on the banks of the Connecticut River. The company was started by two brothers, Anthony and Franklin Enquist, in 1919 on the site of a foundry that had burned down the year before. Little is known about the company, but it made a line of distinctive sand-cast metal bookends from the late 1920s to early 1930s. It stopped production between the Great Depression and World War II. The foundry operated until 1983, when it closed because of labor problems, pollution, and lack of demand for foundry products. The 10-acre riverfront property is being redeveloped for residential, office and retail use. Your bookends were made between 1928 and about 1930. They sell for $100 to $125.

 

Ellmore Silver

Q: Can you tell me who used this silver mark? It says “Handchased, Champlain, Sterling” and pictures a lion standing on a shield with the initial “E” inside.

 

A: This mark was used by Ellmore Silver Co., a company in business in Meriden, Connecticut, from about 1935 to 1960. The company made flatware, hollowware, and novelties. It took over the Frank M. Whiting Co. and Concord Silversmiths about 1939 and the Amston Silver Co. about 1940. Whiting and Amston both made pieces in the Champlain pattern. Amston introduced Champlain flatware about 1915. Whiting made Champlain flatware and hollowware.

 

Letter Holder

Q: I have what I think is a brass letter holder. It has this mark on it with the letters “VM.” Can you tell me anything about it?

 

A: This mark was used by Virginia Metalcrafters of Waynesboro, Virginia. The company was started by W.J. Loth Co. in 1890. It made stoves and cast iron hollowware. It began making brass items in 1936 and became Virginia Metalcrafters. The company made reproduction items for Colonial Williamsburg and other items in colonial style. New designs were also made. Your letter holder seems to be inspired by old letter holders but probably isn’t an exact copy. Resale value, under $75.

 

E.G. Webster Silver

Q: I have a footed silver platter with grapevine border that has two sets of marks on it and some numbers. The top row of marks includes something that looks like a flower, crown, and lion. The second row is a little blurry but looks like a lion, star, and lion. Below that are the numbers “2917/7.” Can you give me any information about the maker?

 

A: This mark was used by E.G. Webster & Son, a company in business in Brooklyn, New York, from 1886 to 1928. Elizur G. Webster started working in New York City about 1859. He worked in various partnerships and under various names in New York and Brooklyn until 1886, when he and his son Fred, formed E.G. Webster & Son. The company became part of International Silver Company in 1928. E.G. Webster became Webster-Wilcox in 1961. The flower-like mark is a fleur-de-lis. Your platter is in poor condition and would have to be replated to use. Its value is low and the cost of replating is high.

 

Silver Web Mark

Q: What does this spider web mark on silver stand for? The letter “W” in a star is in the middle.

A: This spider web mark was used by E.G. Webster & Son of New York City and Brooklyn, New York. Elizur G.Webster started his silver plating business in 1860. The company made hollowware and reproductions of English silver. Webster worked with different partners and under various names. The company became part of International Silver Company in 1928 and moved to Meriden, Connecticut. Webster became Webster-Wilcox in 1961 and was sold to Oneida Silversmiths in 1981.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Candelabra

Q: My neighbor gave me this lovely silver-plated candelabra. The marks look like “K,” “S,” and “In” inside shields, and then something that look like an octopus. It’s quite old and the silver is worn off in many places. I am thinking of cleaning it up and putting it in my little shop. Do you know who made this? 

A: This mark was used by Forbes Silver Co., which started in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1894. The company was a division of Meriden Britannia Co. and was one of the first companies that became part of International Silver Co. in 1898. This mark is one of several used by Forbes. We haven’t found any explanation for the letter “K” in the mark on your candelabra. The letters “In” might be for International. The figure that looks like an octopus is the head of an eagle. Forbes also used a similar mark with the letters “F,” “S,” and “Co.,” which stand for Forbes Silver Co. If the silver is worn off, the candelabra will probably be hard to sell unless it is re-plated.