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  1. #1
    ca
    Nov 2009
    Riding my Yak through the forested mountain trails of Saskatchewan
    ACE 250 with 9x12, Tesoro Tejon
    75

    Need ID on touch marks please

    I have found my first trade silver this year, 6, possibly seven pieces. Narcisse Roy has been identified on a large brooch, but I don't know about the marks on my smaller brooch. What I see is a stamping of a heart with a cross in it, a separate stamping is rectangular and it reads to me : I W, or if flipped, M I. The letters are quite separated so I suspect initials. I'll try to put up pics but I'm unfamiliar with this format.
    I just found four more pieces today after posting this, including another large Narcisse Roy brooch. (tractor damaged though).
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Need ID on touch marks please-img_2316.jpg   Need ID on touch marks please-img_2329.jpg  

  2. #2
    us
    Mar 2010
    U of A
    1,107

    Re: Need ID on touch marks please

    IW: unknown maker.

    See Covenant Chain, p. 121.
    Lorraine Cross,
    Mark IW
    Unknown maker
    Heye Foundation


    I would say this is a significant find, and the associated NR pieces help fix it in time.

    What river are you near?
    Lucas

  3. #3

    Oct 2007
    Wisconsin
    Whites XLT & Whites Beachhunter
    174

    Re: Need ID on touch marks please

    M. Hamilton (silver in the fur trade) suggests "I.W." to possibly be John Wood (circa 1782).
    Says he was "Associated with for trade silversmith Narcisse Roy. Seems that this could be a possibility, especially with the NR silver being found at the same site.

  4. #4
    us
    Mar 2010
    U of A
    1,107

    Re: Need ID on touch marks please

    Barbeau (1940) gives dates for Roy as 1801-1806, but DCBO say he had finished his apprenticeship by 1786. He died in 1814.

    Haven't figured out if he is a relative of mine or not.
    Lucas

  5. #5
    ca
    Nov 2009
    Riding my Yak through the forested mountain trails of Saskatchewan
    ACE 250 with 9x12, Tesoro Tejon
    75

    Re: Need ID on touch marks please

    I drew up a rough sketch of the other marks on this same piece. It was plow folded and I was afraid of snapping it. I'm taking all pieces to a jewelers this winter for straightening out. I suspect this piece to be English, but I really don't know.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Need ID on touch marks please-img_2340.jpg   Need ID on touch marks please-img_2341.jpg   Need ID on touch marks please-img_2342.jpg   Need ID on touch marks please-img_2343.jpg  

  6. #6
    us
    Mar 2010
    U of A
    1,107

    Re: Need ID on touch marks please

    OK I'm not great with silver marks, but I do know if they don't match exactly, they aren't a match. These are Brit style marks, but I can't find the city mark that matches the heart/cross. The Y is a year mark, and the head is the Geo. III duty mark. The only year mark that I could find that was exactly the same was Edinburgh, but your city mark isn't.

    It's possible these are pseudo marks. I know they were common in the U.S. ... Canada maybe. So IW would be the maker, and he dressed up his stuff with a bunch of made up marks. That would be illegal in England but not Canada.
    Lucas

 

 

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