J.H.Tee Antique Silver
7963 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada, V6P 4Z3
Tel: 604-261-0398
info@justinteeantiques.com
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Specialists in: Fine Antique Silver Birks Sterling Flatware English Silver Flatware Estate and Antique Hollowware |
News and Information
Welcome to JH Tee Antiques news page. We will be using this page to keep our customers up to date on our latest promotions, dates of upcoming antique fairs and our annual sale. We will also be posting articles and information about antique silver, links to other interesting sites and other useful information.
Antique English Flatware Services
Canadian Silversmiths of the 20th Century
Links:
RHV Tee & Son - Fine English and Continental Antique Furniture.
Leopard Antiques - South African Dealer with fine collectible silver.
Set Your Table - Links page for China and Silverware pattern matchers.
Silver Magazine - Online home of Silver magazine.
Ring Boxes Galore - Ring Box collector's site.
XE.com - Universal Currency Converter.
The Goldsmiths Company - The London Assay Office website.
Silver Tea Tongs - Site dedicated to the study of silver sugar nips.
925-100 - The go to site for identifying silver hallmarks from just about everywhere.CADA - The Canadian Antique Dealers Association.
V & A Silver Galleries - The Silver Galleries of the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Upcoming Shows:
We will be exhibiting in the following shows:
Birks Sterling Flatware Guide
Birks Sterling Place Pieces:
Matching pieces to your Birks sterling flatware can be a bit of a challenge if you don't know what to ask for. Birks has made a wide range of pieces and patterns over the years, many of which are discontinued. Birks started making sterling flatware in the 1890s and some of their patterns have been in production for generations. Over the years there have been many variations in shapes and sizes. The following is a brief explanation of the various place pieces that Birks has made over the years.
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KnivesFrom left to right:
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Oval Bowl SpoonsFrom left to right:
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Round Bowl SpoonsFrom left to right:
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ForksFrom left to right:
[Special note for Old English pattern only: Dinner and Luncheon Forks are available with the bottom tip facing up (shown left) or facing down ("reversed"). Click here to find out why.]
Birks Sterling Serving Pieces: Birks made a wide variety of serving pieces for every pattern, many of which are discontinued. The size and configuration of the servers changed throughout the years. Some of the most common serving pieces are shown below. |
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Current Serving PiecesFrom left to right:
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Current Serving PiecesFrom left to right:
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Discontinued Serving PiecesFrom left to right: Tomato Server (6 7/8"), Roast Beef Fork (8 5/8"), Cheese Scoop (5 7/8"), Berry spoon (flat handle, 7 3/4"), Pie Knife (flat handle, 8"). Sizes vary by pattern and by age. |
Frequently asked Questions
What is sterling silver?
Sterling silver is a metal alloy which contains at least 92.5% silver (925 parts per thousand). The rest of the alloy is usually copper. It is the standard alloy for silverware used in the United Kingdom, North America and many other countries. The word ‘sterling’ has become synonymous with solid silver in the English speaking world, however it is not the only standard. There are a number of other standards used, particularly in Europe where alloys typically range from 750 to 950 parts per thousand. Pure silver is very soft. By combining it with small amounts of other metals in an alloy it is possible to create a much harder, more durable metal without losing any of the beauty or malleability.
What is silver plate?
Silver plate is a base metal such as copper or nickel that is coated with a thin layer of pure silver using electrolytic deposition.
How can I tell the difference between sterling and plate?
Virtually all sterling silver, and other solid silver alloys are stamped with markings that indicate the fineness of the alloy. Pieces made in North America should be stamped with the word ‘sterling”, pieces made in Europe are often marked with a series of symbols, known as hallmarks, that indicate the fineness of their alloy and pieces from other parts of the world are often stamped with numbers such as 900 or 925 indicating the fineness. If there are no marks indicating solid silver it can be very difficult to tell. Weight is not a good indicator. Consult an expert if you are unsure.
What is a troy ounce?
The troy ounce is the traditional unit of measure used to gauge the weight of precious metals. It is equivalent to 31.1g and is approximately 10% heavier than a "regular" or avoirdupois ounce.
What is the best way to clean silver?
Please see our cleaning tips page for details.
How should I store my silver?
For long term storage you should make sure your silver is clean and dry. Then pack it in clean tissue or cloth and put it inside a sealed plastic bag.
Do you buy silver?
Yes we do. We are always in the market for estate and antique silver. We do need to examine things first hand before we can make an offer.
What condition are your pieces in?
All of the pieces offered on our site are in excellent condition. They have been gently used and well cared for. If there are any issues with condition, however minor, they will be noted in the description. Our estate Birks flatware is refurbished where necessary and is difficult to distinguish from new.
How do you ship your products?
Shipping methods vary with size, value and destination. We are always happy to provide a quote.
Antique English Flatware Services
Many people are attracted to the beauty and quality of antique English silver flatware but finding a complete matching service can be difficult. In the 18th and early 19th century, original flatware designs were not registered (in fact many of them were simply copied from French patterns). Consequently there were hundreds of silversmiths all making the same patterns. It was not unusual for a set to be acquired over a period of years from one or more silversmiths. Over the generations these sets were often broken up into smaller sets and/ or pieces were added or replaced.
Types of services:
Today it is quite rare to find a complete service of antique flatware where every piece was made by the same silversmith in the same year. A straight set will have identical hallmarks on every piece. The vast majority of English silver flatware services are assembled mixed sets, in which the pattern is the same but the pieces have been made by different manufacturers at different times.
When acquiring an assembled service it is desirable to find pieces which are as similar as possible in terms of size, weight and appearance and also in terms of age, origin and maker.
The degree of weight that one attributes to any of these factors is a matter of preference.
A good assembled service should look like it belongs together when you lay it on the table and it should have many pieces with similar or matching hallmarks.
Patterns:
There are relatively few patterns that are commonly found and most of them are derivations of only three basic shapes.
Old English
– Old English pattern was designed in the 1760s and has remained popular ever since. There are many variations of this pattern, some of which are fairly common such as Old English Thread, Bead, and Bright Cut.
Fiddle
– Copied from an earlier French pattern, Fiddle pattern arrived in England shortly after 1800 and was the most common pattern made in the 19th century. It inspired several popular offshoots such as Fiddle Thread, Fiddle Thread and Shell and Fiddle Shell.
Kings/ Hourglass
– Introduced in the early 19th century (based on an 18th century French design), this shape started out as the Hourglass pattern and then quickly developed into the much more popular Kings pattern, Queens pattern and others such as Honeysuckle and Kings Husk.
There are many other less common patterns that were made. See Silver Flatware: English Irish and Scottish 1660-1980 by Ian Pickford for more information.
Upturn vs. Downturn:
After 1770 it was traditional to lay the fork face down on the table and the spoon face up. As a result, the shape of the handles of spoons and forks are slightly different.
When laid face up on the table (the modern way), the bottom end of the spoon handle turns down toward the table and the bottom end of the fork handle turns up and away from the table.
The family crest is normally engraved on the front of the spoon and on the back of the fork. By the later half of the 19th century forks were being laid face up but the shape of the handle remained the same until the 20th century.
Pieces:
Antique English flatware services come with seven standard pieces: 2 forks, 3 spoons and 2 knives.
Forks
– Table Forks (known as dinner forks in North America) are typically about 8” in length and 2.5- 3 troy ounces in weight. (That is about ½” longer and 40-50% heavier than a modern dinner fork) They are used for the main course. Dessert Forks are approximately 7” (the same size as a North American luncheon or place fork) and are commonly used for desserts, salads, or starters.
Spoons
– Tablespoons are approximately 8.5” in length; they were originally used for soups and stews but today they are commonly used for serving. Dessert Spoons have an oval bowl and are typically 7”, intended for desserts but they get used for just about everything.
Teaspoons
vary from 5 to 6” and as the name suggests they are for tea although they are also suitable for delicate desserts.
Knives
– In the 18th and 19th century knives were made by a cutler rather than a silversmith and were purchased independently from the rest of the set. They typically had bone, ivory or thin gauge silver handles with carbon steel blades. They really weren’t very durable and are rarely found in good condition if at all. Standard practice today is to use modern knives with silver handles and stainless steel blades to replace antique knives. A complete service should have a Table (Dinner) Knife and a Dessert Knife.
Serving Pieces
– Unlike American flatware sets antique British sets came with a relatively small variety of serving utensils. The most common are the soup ladle, gravy ladle, stuffing or basting spoon (approximately 12”), butter knife, salt spoon and fish slice.
To see flatware we have in stock click here.
Canadian Silversmiths of the 20th Century
By the
beginning of the 20th century the last of these small firms had been
replaced by larger firms with mechanised factories that could produce much larger
quantities. The styles were still
predominantly English but the influence of American silversmiths such as Gorham
and Tiffany was starting to take hold and became stronger as the century advanced.
Birks was by
far the largest and most influential silverware manufacturer in Canada during
the 20th century. Henry Birks
& Company was established in Montreal in 1879 as a retail jeweller. In 1893 Henry Birks' three sons joined the business and the name was changed to Henry Birks
& Sons. In 1897 Birks bought out
Hendery & Leslie, their largest supplier of silverware, and began manufacturing
their own products. Over the next 50
years Birks expanded by buying up established jewellers across the
country. They also took over their rivals
in manufacturing until they had a virtual monopoly on the production and sale
of sterling silverware in Canada.
Birks
manufactured their own flatware and some of their hollowware in their factory in Montreal up until the early 1990s when the factory was closed and production was moved offshore. In the early part of the century the factory employed nearly 300 people. Some of hollowware was
purchased from manufacturers in the UK and the US and sold under the Birks
label.
The following
is a discussion of the major Canadian manufacturers of sterling silverware in
the 20th century.
Henry Birks & Sons
Birks’
earliest production included hollowware and flatware in a few English patterns
such as Old English and Fiddle. In 1907
Birks acquired the Gorham Company of Canada and with it the exclusive rights to
manufacture and sell several of Gorham’s patterns in Canada such as Chantilly
and Pompadour. Birks acquired several
more designs from Gorham and other manufacturers later in the century and also
designed a few of their own patterns like Tudor and Laurentian.
Birks
earliest silver mark (1879-1897) was a retailer's stamp of H.B. & Co. added to the pseudo marks of Hendery & Leslie. Their second mark was introduced when Birks bought out Hendery & Leslie in 1897 and became manufacturers themselves. It included Birks along with the same pseudo marks previously used by Hendry
and Leslie: a lion rampant, a sovereign’s head and a date letter.
Birks modern production is marked with Birks Sterling above a lion rampant.
PW Ellis
& Co. was established in Toronto in 1879 and
produced a wide range of silver hollowware and flatware. Their designs were heavily influenced by styles
from England and they manufactured several different flatware patterns
including Lancaster Rose, Chippendale, Old English, Old English Thread (Saxon) and
Louis XV. Ellis was taken over by Birks
in 1928.
Established
in Toronto in 1891 Roden Brothers produced a wide range of silver hollowware
and flatware in traditional English styles.
They offered several different flatware patterns including Stratford,
Queens, and Louis XV. Goldsmiths Stock Company were their exclusive selling agents from 1900 to 1922, they were taken
over by Birks in 1953.
According to
his family history Carl Poul Petersen was apprenticed at George Jensen in
Denmark before emigrating to Canada in 1929. He worked intermittently at Henry
Birks and Sons in Montreal until 1944 but he set up a studio to do commission
work in the late thirties. Petersen opened
his permanent studio in 1944 and registered his company, C.P. Petersen &
Sons, in 1946.
From 1903
until approximately 1930 Birks sterling hollowware and flatware was marked either
with Birks Sterling in the font shown
below with serifs or with Birks in a rectangular
outline followed by Sterling.
In 1925
Birks received permission from the London assay office to mark their sterling silver
with a date letter cycle that corresponded to the London cycle. From this time most of their hollowware was marked
with Birks Sterling (no serifs) and a
set of pseudo hallmarks that included a sheaf of wheat (Trademarked by Birks),
a lion passant, and a date letter that corresponded to the London date letter
for the year of production. Their
flatware was typically marked simply with Birks
Sterling (no serifs), sometimes followed with the date letter and very
occasionally with the full set of pseudo marks. In the late 30s the sheaf of wheat mark was
replaced by the Canadian National Mark (a Lion’s head surrounded by a C).
Note: Pieces are occasionally found with these marks before 1925; the pseudo marks used then were a lion, beaver and date letter.
Birks modern production is marked with Birks Sterling above a lion rampant.
PW Ellis & Co.
The Ellis mark
is strikingly similar to Gorham’s, an anchor on its side, an E surrounded by a
maple leaf and a lion passant.
Roden Bothers
Roden’s mark
included the word Sterling, followed by 925, an R and a lion passant.
Ryrie Bros.
Ryrie Brothers was a jeweller
established in Toronto in 1897 and was taken over
by Birks in 1905. They sold hollowware
and some flatware under the name Ryrie until 1914 and Ryrie-Birks until 1924
but apparently did not have their own facilities for manufacturing silverware.
Carl Poul Petersen
Unlike his
rivals at Birks, Petersen’s production was largely by hand and his designs were
inspired by the naturalistic forms of Danish silver particularly those designs by
Georg Jensen and Johan Rhode. He produced eleven flatware patterns, an
extensive range of hollowware, silver and gold jewellery and a line of Judaica.
C.P.
Petersen & Sons was in business until 1979 but the majority of their
domestic silver was produced in the late forties and fifties. Petersen is perhaps most famous for his work
on behalf of the National Hockey League.
He was commissioned to reproduce the Stanley Cup in 1962 and also to
make the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy and the William Masterton
Memorial Trophy.
Although he
cannot be properly considered “a major manufacturer” we have a soft spot for
William Maurice Carmichael as he was the only silversmith of note from British
Columbia. While the majority of
Carmichael’s production was high quality silver plate he did make a number of sterling
silver articles for his general stock and for special commissions. Carmichael was trained as an engineer and started
in business in Victoria in 1920 after returning from the First World War. In 1924 George Bennett Sr., a local
silversmith who had trained in Britain joined the firm.
Petersen’s
silver was marked with his trademark PP underlined three times, Sterling, and usually also with Petersen, the words Hand Made and the
Canadian National Mark.
William Maurice Carmichael
The business
grew quickly and offered a wide range of goods that became tremendously popular
as wedding and christening gifts.
Carmichael produced goods using a combination of hand and machine work
and made numerous special commissions including The Thunderbird & Whale
Bowl presented to King George V by the Government of British Columbia. Carmichael’s designs were commonly inspired
by English silver but also included local elements such as Dogwood flowers and
first nations motifs. The shop remained
in business until shortly before Carmichael’s death in 1954.
In 1934 the Government of Canada instituted a national mark for items made of
precious metal that are wholly manufactured in Canada. The mark was a lion’s head inside a letter C
as shown above with WM Carmichael's mark. (It was changed to a maple leaf inside a letter C in 1978.)
Carmichael’s
earliest mark was W.M.C in a rectangle, and his later mark was an M surrounded
by a C in a shield. His sterling pieces
include Sterling and the Canadian
National Mark (after 1934).
The National Mark
Old Sheffield Plate
In this business, one frequently hears the term “Sheffield Plate” used to describe a wide variety of pieces from different places and times. The term is often used as if it were a brand name that some how indicated quality and age. In fact, the name Old Sheffield Plate can only properly be attributed to one particular kind of silver plate. Old Sheffield Plate, or OSP for short, is the name given to silver plate made from a fusion process in the late 18th and early 19th century, before the invention of electroplating. A brief history of silver plating may be of some help.
For as long as there has been a demand for silver, there has been a demand for a more affordable substitute. This demand increased sharply with the rise of the merchant class in the eighteenth century and in the 1740's a cutler named Thomas Boulsover invented the first reliable and economic method of silver plating. A brick of copper and a brick of sterling silver were fused together and then rolled out into a sheet. This sheet (one side sliver and one side copper) was then used to construct the desired item using the same techniques that were used with sterling silver. The vast majority of this fusion plate was made in Sheffield and hence the name Old Sheffield Plate.
In 1840, Elkington & Co. patented a new method of silver plating known as electro-plating. In this method, an object is constructed entirely out of a base metal then the piece is coated with pure silver using electrolytic deposition. The base metal is often copper or a copper-nickel alloy with the misleading name “nickel silver”. (from this we get the acronym EPNS for Electroplated Nickel Silver) Electroplating proved to be faster and cheaper than the fusion technique, which quickly became obsolete.
Fusion plate is distinctly different from electroplate in its construction but the difference in appearance can be subtle. Good old electroplate is often confused with Old Sheffield Plate. A few things to look out for are: Colour, the silver on OSP is sterling and it should have a slightly bluish patina; Marks, OSP was usually not marked at all but occasionally you will find a maker’s mark. If it has the word Sheffield stamped on it anywhere it almost certainly isn't OSP (refer to Bradbury's Book of Hallmarks for a few of the makers marks); Style, OSP was made as a substitute for sterling and the shapes and styles were almost identical to the sterling pieces of the same period. So if the style of the piece says 1860, it's not Old Sheffield Plate; Construction, there are a variety of construction techniques unique to OSP which one can use to identify a piece. These are too numerous to mention here but they are the true test for identification.
Over the years, OSP has become scarce and as one might expect, quite collectible. But beware, due to its age a considerable amount of it has been tampered with. Like everything else, OSP wears out and when it does, people quite innocently have it re-plated. Re-electroplated, that is. This is a material alteration to the piece and like any other antique it affects the value. And don't think that just because your piece is showing copper that it hasn't been re-plated, people have been re-plating OSP since the mid 1870's.
If you would like to see some examples of OSP or to learn more about it, just come into the shop and ask us, and remember: Sheffield Plate is not necessarily from Sheffield, and plate from Sheffield is not necessarily Old Sheffield Plate.
- JT
For more reading see History of Old Sheffield Plate, Fredrick Bradbury,and Antique Sheffield Plate, G. Bernard Hughes.
