Two Dollar Plate, French Sterling

I picked this up for two dollars yesterday at a junk store on a lark. I did not see any of the usual marks, just ones I could not really see clearly. It was heavy, tarnished (it sat in the sink overnight and was much worse)  but it did not have any sorts of the usual silver plate marks. I liked the detail of the flowers on it (the picture does not do it justice) but was wary because it is a small piece and seems to be missing something.  I don't know what the center is for it is the size of a teacup. I think that is what I may do with it. 

The marks were confusing. I looked in Rainwater's book first this did not help. There are two marks I had a hard time seeing.  I knew it had a Minerva head, so I did some internet searching. It also had another head in a square cartouche. At first I thought it might be Dutch. This did not pan out. Then I thought it might be Russian. It was close (the mark was so hard to see) but this did not turn out. Then I figured out that it was French. I still have a lot I am trying to learn about international hallmarks, and I rely heavily on this wonderful site. 925-1000 is one of my go to places on the internet for information. 

As an online encyclopedia of silver they are second to none. I could not do my work without them. So not only did they help me confirm the assay mark as being french, they had information on the maker. 

Turns out it is Emile Delaire who worked from 1882 to 1920. 

I could not have asked for a better deal, a better research site, or a better dish. Thats pretty good if I do say so myself. 

E. G. Webster & Son Coffee Pot

This little fellow got purchased a couple of weeks ago. I picked it up from a dealer friend of mine at a low cost who just hours before had picked it up from another dealer friend of mine for about nine dollars less. Had I not been so lazy that morning it could have been mine at a lower price but not to despair, early bird and all that. I really like the wooden handle, and the lid is in good shape, the silver inside is intact, the shape just does not do it for me. 

The weather was unseasonably warm today so you get an outside picture. This pot is part of the famous E.G. Webster reproduction lines and has a very classical english styling about it. I covered a brief history of E.G. Webster & Son in this post so there is no need to reproduce it here. I really like this maker and have seen many of their works. It is easy to identify through the use of their trademark spider web with a W. Though this is only one of their many marks, I think it is one of their best and just the detail of it is a joy to behold. 

Without reference books at hand to identify this mark I imagine that searching it out is a pain on the internet. I think I would go with the terms W, Star, Web, Silver but that could turn up any amount of things. Pictorial marks are some of the hardest to identify. Though, like with Webster, once you know what it is it becomes immediately recognizable to the collector. 

So what will become of this little fellow? Well I am stocked up on pots like this and it is not in the garish Victorian style I like so much so he is destined to be a Christmas present. The person i have in mind will give him a very good home.  There is a little damage to his foot where he was likely set on a ht stove or burner, but i don't think that this will matter too much. Sometimes imperfect silver is some of the most interesting. 

Finding a flatware pattern.

When searching for flatware patterns, before I built up my library, I used a hodge-podge of silver websites to find information. None of them are "complete" and they vary greatly in usability and organization.

One such site is Silver Tableware. Like many sites it is a commercial venture, but it is also nice enough to make its information open to everyone. I think this helps to drive commerce in the silver trade. Basically, people find grandma's silver at a garage sale or in the attic and think that it is worth a fortune. Then they seek out pattern -usually through the makers mark- to try and find out what it is and what it is worth. In some cases I suspect that there are folks looking to expand their set but I think that the vast majority are people that will search for about ten minuted on the web to find what a piece is. Be that as it may, there are folks like myself that through this process have become slightly obsessed with pattern identification. This in turn helps to create a market for silver.


What I need to do is interview some silver dealers and hear their theories on this. Here are some questions that may have interesting answers.

1. What is the most common questions you receive about silver?
2. How do you think people "think" about silver today?
3. What drives the silver market?
4. What "theories" do people have about silver?
5. What is your most common type of customer?
6. What makes your "best" customer?
7. How do you think most people value (guess the worth of) the silver they posses?
8. What do you sell the most of?
9. What is the most common type of silver that people bring in?
10. What is the weirdest question you have received?

Clearing up the Rogers Confusion: Marks and Manufacturers

There are a number of makers of silver (both sterling and silverplate) that use the Rogers name. This post is an attempt to create a list, history, and database that will make this situation a little less confusing. I do not imagine that I will be able to get everything down in one go. This means that this post will probably be edited several times. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment. If you are able to use any of this information please link to the page.

One of the first things to think about are the companies. Lots of companies used Rogers in their name.  These companies formed, merged, separated, folded and absorbed by each other.

The second thing to think about are the backstamps or marks. Many companies used marks with the name Rogers in it. Many of these marks ended up being owned by two major companies International Silver Company and Oneida. Before that many of these marks were owned by a variety of companies and were bought and sold through a variety of business cycles.  

List of Companies with Rogers in the name.


Joseph Rodgers and Sons

Place:  
     Sheffield England
Years:
     1682 - Present

Asa Rogers Jr. & Co.
     1832 - 1838
     Renamed from Rogers & Cole


Rogers & Britten
Place:
     West Stratford Connecticut
Years:    
     1880 - 1882
Mergers:
     Taken over by Holmes and Edwards

Rogers & Brothers
Rogers Brothers

Place:  
      Waterbury Connecticut
Year:  
     1847 - 1855
Founders:
     Asa Rogers
     Simeon Rogers
     Leroy S. White
     David B. Hamilton
Mergers and Notes:
     1855 Changed name to Rogers & Bros. Mfg. Co.
     Joined International Silver Company in 1898
     Marks used until 1976
 Marks:
     (Star) Rogers & Bro. A1
     R. & B.
     (Star) Rogers & Brothers, 12
     (Star) R & B
     Manor Plate

                                                       This marks is found on hollowware


Church and Rogers
Years:
      1825 - 1841
Founders:
     William Rogers and Joseph Church

Rogers Brothers Manufacturing Company
Rogers Bros. Mfg. Co.


Years:
     1853 - 1861
Founders:
     William Rogers
     Asa Rogers Jr.
     Simeon Rogers
Mergers:
     Merged with Rogers, Smith & Co. in 1861
     Part of International Silver company


C. Rogers & Brothers
Place:  
     Meriden Connecticut
Year:  
     1866 - 1903
Founders:
     Cephas B. Rogers
     Gilbert Rogers
     Wilbur F. Rogers
Mergers:
     Bought out by International Silver Co, in 1903
     Trademarks retired by International Silver Company

Rogers & Cole
Place:  
     New Britain Connecticut
Year:  
     1830 - 1832
Founders:
     Asa Rogers Jr.
     John A. Cole
     Coin Flatware

Rogers Cutlery Co.
Place:
     Hartford Connecticut
Years:
     1871 - 1879
Mergers:
     Merged with Wm. Rogers Mfg. Co. in 1879
     Merged with International Silver Company in 1898

F. B. Rogers Silver Company
Place:  
     Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts
Years:
     1883 - 1886 to present
Mergers:  
     Absorbed West Silver Company.

Moved to:  
     Taunton,  Massachusetts
     1886 - Present
     1955 Bought by National Silver Company
     Bought by J.C. Boardman in 1985

 Mark:

Frank W. Rogers
     Hartford, Connecticut
     1875 - ?
     Frank W. Rogers

Rogers & Hamilton Company
Place:  
     Waterbury, Connecticut
Years:  
     1886 - 1898
Mergers:
     Merged with International Silver Company 1898
Founders:  
     Charles Alfred Hamilton
     William H. Rogers - Cigar dealer hired and made secretary so the Rogers name could be used.

Henry Rogers, Sons & Co.
     Montreal Canada
     1909 - 1915

H.O. Rogers Silver Co.
Place:
      Taunton, Massachusetts
Years:
      Dates unknown

J. Rogers Silver Co., Inc.
     Little known

Rogers, Lunt & Bowlen Co.
     Greenfield, Massachusetts
Mark:

Rogers & Mead
Place:  
     Hartford Connecticut
Years:
     1845 - 1846
Founders:
     William Rogers
     Asa Rogers
     J.O. Meade

Rogers Park Silverware Co.
Place:  
     Chicago Illinois
Place:
     ? - 1895

Rogers Silverplate Co.
Place:  
     Danbury, Connecticut
Years:
     1869 - 1922 - Early 1950s
Founders:
     Nathaniel Burton Rogers
     Cephas B. Rogers
     Gilbert H. Rogers
Mergers:
     Relations to the C. Rogers & Brothers in Meriden Connecticut
     Purchased by Cephas B. Rogers II manufactured under Rogers name until 1950s.

Mark:

Simeon L. & George H. Rogers Co.
S.L. & G. H. Rogers Co.
S.L. & G. H. R. Co.
Place:  
     Hartford, Connecticut
Years:
     1900 - 1929
Mergers:
     Absorbed by Wm. A. Rogers Ltd. in 1918
     Absorbed by Oneida in 1929
     Marks used by Oneida

Marks:

Rogers, Smith & Co. -There are Two of these! (but they are related and end up in the same place)

Rogers,Smith & Co. 
Meriden Connecticut

Founded:
January 1, 1857

Manufactured:
Holloware
Flatware

Founders
William Rogers Sr.
George W. Smith

Mergers:
August 12 1862 with Rogers Bros. Mfg. Co.

August 12, 1862 their flatware division was sold to the Meriden Britannia Co.
The Rogers left to work with them.

Edward Mitchell of the Rogers, Smith and Co. bought the hollowware division.


Rogers, Smith & Co.
New Haven Connecticut

Founded:
November 6, 1862

Manufactured:
Holloware

Founder:
Edward Mitchell

Mergers:
January 13, 1863 bought by Meriden Britannia Co.
Continued in New haven using Rogers, Smith & Co. marks
June 1865 plating shop moved to Meriden Connecticut - Marks will read Meriden
Move completed by January 1, 1866
All facilities incorporated into Meriden Britannia Company by 1877

By 1898 when the International Silver Company was formed it was a trademark owned by the Meriden Britannia Company but had ceases to produce as a division.

Rogers & Spurr Mfg. Co.
Place:  
     Greenfield Massachusetts
Year:
     1879 - ?    
Founders:
     David C. Rogers
     George F. Rogers
     George W. Spurr
     L.C. Pratt

Product:
     Made flatware
Mergers:
     Took over George W. Spurr & Co. 1873 - 1879
Marks:
     Mark reads: Rogers & Sons Greenfield, Mass

Wm. A. Rogers, Ltd.
      This is a big one that will take some time as well.

Mark:

William Rogers & Co.
 Years:  
     1841 - 1855
Made:
     Coin silver
Mergers:
     Became Rogers Bro. Mfg Co.
Mark:     
   (eagle) Wm. Rogers & Co. (Star)
   Mark taken over by Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co.
   This is then taken over by the International Silver Company








William Rogers Jr.
     Also a big name that will take some time.

William Rogers Mfg. Co.
     Hartford Connecticut
     1865 - 1898
     William Rogers
     William Rogers Jr.
     Thomas Birch
     1898 merged into International Silver Company
     Marks continued use in International Silver Company
     Became a division of International Silver Company

Marks:
     Anchor Rogers
     (Anchor) Rogers (Anchor)
     1846 (Anchor) Rogers (Anchor) AA
     1865 Wm Rogers Mfg. Co.
     Wm Rogers & Son
     R.C. Co.
     Rogers Nickel Silver
     (Anchor) W. R. & S.
     Rogers Cutlery Co.
     Wm. Rogers Mfg. Co. Hartford Conn.
     Rogers Brand Silver Plated Ware
     Cunningham Silver Plate (for Ocean Spray cranberry sauce premium)
     (anchor) Rogers (anchor) XII

Wm. Rogers Mfg. Co. Ltd.
     Niagara Falls, Ontario
     ? - 1905
     Bought by Wm. Rogers Mfg. Co. in 1905 a division of International Silver Company 

Wm. G. Rogers
     1901 - 1915
     Flatware
    
William H. Rogers


Place:
     Hartford, Connecticut
Year:
     1888 - 1915
Mark:
     (Sword) Rogers A1

William H. Rogers Corporation
Place:
     Plainfield New Jersey
Years:
     1901 - 1904
    
Rogers, Wendt & Wilkinson

Place:  
     New York New York
Year:
     January 1860 -  August 1860 
Founder:
     John R. Wendt

Souvenir Spoons

I don't really deal with souvenir spoons. I have a few, one from Oklahoma and a few from other places. There are a few that are pretty interesting in a shop downtown but they are priced a bit higher than I am willing to pay.

However, if you are looking for souvenir spoons makers marks this may be a good place to start.   They seem to know what they are talking about. The site is titled American Sterling Souvenir Spoons and they have a good list of resources.

I hope it helps you with your search.