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.

Chair Identification

Q: I am looking for information on this chair. I recently inherited it from my mother. I used your identification guide, but I’m not clear if I am interpreting it correctly. What can you tell me from this mark?

A: This is an English registry mark. It was used on metal, wood, glass, and ceramics from 1842 to 1883 to indicate the design had been registered at the British patent office. The number in the circle at the top is the type of material (wood), the number below is the day of the month (24). The number on the left is the parcel number (5), the letter P is the year (1877), and the letter K is the month (November). It indicates the design was registered at the British patent office on November 24, 1877. You can find more information about English registry marks and tables for interpreting them are on our website, Kovels.com. The chair may have been part of a set of dining table chairs.

Karlsbad Vase

Q: What can you tell me about this 12-inch vase? I found it in a garbage basket awaiting the garbage truck in the 1950s. The black dots near the center of the flowers are raised from the surface of the vase. The bottom is stamped with a green mark with a crown over the entwined initials “CK” and “Karlsbad, Austria.” Is this worth keeping or is it junk?

A: This mark was used by the Karlsbad Porcelain Factory Carl Knoll from about 1916 to 1918. Karlsbad became part of Czechoslovakia in 1918, and is now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The initials “CK” are those of the founder, Carl Knoll. The factory was in business from 1848 to 1945, when it was nationalized. It made dinnerware, decorative porcelain, giftware, and porcelain dolls’ heads. The vase is worth keeping. It could sell for as much as $500 or more.

 

Haviland Chocolate Pot

Q: This pot is 9 1/2 inches tall with lid. The pot, and its accompanying demitasse cups and saucers, was a wedding gift to my grandmother, who was married in 1902. I’ve heard that it is a coffeepot but my grandmother always referred to it as a chocolate pot. I’ve never seen one with this type of spout. I’m hoping you can clarify its purpose so I can properly identify it for my children, who will eventually take possession.

A: You have a coffeepot. Chocolate pots have a shorter spout at the top of the pot. The demitasse cups are also a clue to the beverage. One of the marks on the bottom identifies the maker of the pot and one identifies the company that decorated it. David and Daniel Haviland started their company in New York City in 1838 and imported tableware from France. David moved to Limoges, France, in 1841 and opened a decorating shop there in 1847. Haviland began making porcelain in Limoges soon after. By 1876 the company made all the porcelain it decorated. The New York company became Haviland Brothers and Company in 1852. After the New York company closed in 1863, the Limoges factory became Haviland and Company. It remained in business, run by members of David’s family, until 1931.

Duffner & Kimberly

Q: I bought this metal and wood object at an estate sale advertised on line last year. Two conical forms, one with a cover at the apex and the other without, are mounted on a rectangular piece of stained wood. Suspended between the two cones is a removable basket. All the metal pieces have a […]

Ginger Jar

Q: I’m trying to identify the maker of a porcelain ginger jar I bought recently. The mark includes a crown over a shield with the letters “UW” and “PF” intertwined. There’s a lion holding one side of the shield and a unicorn on the other side. Underneath that is a banner with “Porcelain 1879” printed on it. I think it’s English. Can you tell me who made this?

A: Although this mark looks something like the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, it’s not an English mark. Several potteries in Europe, the United States, and the Far East used a similar mark. Your ginger jar was made in China. The initials on the mark stand for United Wilson Porcelain Factory, a company founded in 1978 by Nelson Chung and Elsa Kam. The company website (www.unitedwilson.com) says family members were “steeped in the craft porcelain tracing” as early as 1897. Other marks attributed to the company include the date “1897.” We don’t know if the date on your mark was used to make the company seem older or if the numbers were accidently transposed. The company is still in business and makes copies of Imari, Satsuma, Rococo style, modern, blue & white, and other porcelain. It also does custom work. A similar ginger jar sold recently for $85.

Vienna Austria Vase

Q: I inherited this porcelain vase from my mother-in-law, but I know nothing about it. It’s about 13 inches tall and the base is about 4 inches wide. It is marked with a green crown with two shields.  It’s signed, “M. Reiszmen, 1905.” Is this the artist? Can you provide any information about its history and possible value?

A: This green crown with two shields mark was used by four importers in New York City: P.H. Leonard (from about 1885 until 1898), Bawo & Dotter (1864 to about 1914), Charles L. Dwenger (before 1895 until after 1917), and Paul Staub (1915 until 1970). The mark was owned by Count Thun’s porcelain factory and used on Vienna porcelain. The factory started in Klosterle, Bohemia (now Klasterec, Czech Republic) in 1819 and is now operating as Thun Karlovarsky. Hand painting porcelain blanks was a popular hobby in United States in the early decades of the 20th century. The signature on your vase is likely the name of the amateur artist who decorated the vase. Vases similar to yours have recently sold for $50 to $120.

M D Mark

Q: Can you identify this mark with the initials “M” and “D” beneath a tree? I’d like to know who the maker is and the age of this tray. A: This mark was used by Max Dannhorn, a company founded in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1872. The tree mark was registered in 1895. The number on […]

KPM Butterfly Dish

Q: I got this butterfly serving dish with gold handle as a wedding gift in 1957. It came from an antiques store in my town. It’s marked with a straight line above “KPM.” I’ve never found an exact match. I’d like to know more about it.

A: The initials “KPM” were used by several German porcelain makers. This mark with a vertical bar above the initials was used by the Krister Porzellan-Manufaktur (Krister Porcelain Manufactury) in Waldenburg, Germany. The company was in business under various owners and names from 1831 to 2016. Carl Franz Krister bought an existing porcelain factory in 1831 and a second factory in 1833. He made porcelain in the style of the Konigliche Porzellan Manufaktur (Royal Porcelain Manufactory) of Berlin and even copied the mark, replacing the scepter in the Konigliche mark with a bar. Krister Porcelain Manufactory used this mark from 1840 to 1895. Your butterfly dish is a relish dish. Krister divided relish dishes have sold recently for $25 to $50.

Royal Winton Tea Set

Q: My mother gave me a 41-piece tea set as a gift. It’s a hand-painted set from England she bought at an antiques store in Canada. I can’t find any information on the maker. There are two different marks on the dishes, “Royal Winton Grimwades” and “Empire England.” The name “M. Chalmers” and “9-5-53” are written on each piece. Can you give me any information on the maker and value of the set?

A: Grimwades pottery started in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, in 1885. The company bought Winton Pottery and Stoke Pottery in 1900. Grimwades bought several other potteries, and the pottery names were sometimes used in Grimwades marks. Queen Mary bought a Winton tea set when she and King George V visited the pottery in 1913. The company began to use the name “Royal Winton” soon afterwards. It became the company’s trade name in 1929. Grimwades and the Royal Winton brand are now part of Duchess China 1888 of Stoke-on-Trent. Empire Porcelain Company was another pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, in business from 1895 to 1967. It had two factories, one of which may have originally belonged to Grimwades. Your Grimwades mark was used from about 1934 to 1950. The Empire mark on your dishes includes the date, indicating they were made in January 1953. The name “M. Chalmers” and date written on the dishes is a mystery. Perhaps they were a special order. Sets of dinnerware are hard to sell. If you want to sell them, try a local consignment shop.