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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]