Hawksworth Eyre Mark

Q: Recently I bought this oval silver lid. When I unscrewed the handle section and removed it, I found some marks on the bottom: the initials “H,” “E,” “Co,” and “E P.” Can you tell me what they mean and when the piece was made? Possible value?

A: Your silver lid was made between 1853 and the early 1930s. It probably came with a dish that fit under it. Silver entree dishes with reversible lids were popular in Victorian times. When the handle is removed, the lid can be turned upside down and used as another serving dish. The mark was used by Hawksworth, Eyre & Co. of Sheffield, England, a company founded by Charles Hawksworth and John Eyre in 1833. Their partnership dissolved in 1869, but the business continued under new owners. It became Hawksworth, Eyre & Co., Ltd., in the 1870s. The initials “EP” stand for electroplate. Hawksworth, Eyre & Co. made electroplated silver beginning in 1853. The company was liquidated in the early 1930s. Your silver-plated lid, missing its matching dish, is worth very little. Collectors want a useful covered dish.