Copper/Sterling Overlay Desk Set Hallmark Help

[bigcaddy64]

This very nice desk set followed me home over the weekend and I’ve spent a number of hours looking for a place to ID the maker.

It’s well made, has a patent date, catalog number and hallmark but I can’t decipher it.

It’s a diamond outline with AHMS or AMHS inside.


Most of the online resources focus on 1 brand or workshop. There’s nothing like the silver hallmark page for copper that I’ve been able to find.


Does anybody has an idea of who or what workshop/company made this set? All the pieces are in good shape, including the glass jar for the ink.

 

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[Red-Coat]

It’s a maker mark rather than a hallmark. The letters are intended to be read in the order ‘HAMS’ and stand for ‘Heintz Art Metal Shop’, active in Buffalo, NY from 1905-1930. Otto Heintz acquired the Arts & Crafts Company in 1903 and changed the name to Heintz Art Metal Shop in 1905. The name was later changed to Heintz Brothers Manufacturing. The company was well known for handwrought copper and bronze wares with sterling overlay in ‘Arts & Crafts’ style.

Potentially rather collectible. I'd like to see them if you'd kindly oblige with some pictures.

 

[tamrock]

Yes, very desirable art metal. I would enjoy seeing it also.

 

[bigcaddy64]

I completely forgot to upload the group picture. Here it is for everybody to enjoy.

Thanks for the quick ID and I gather from the name the monogram is read from the center overlay letter then left to right? That will be good to know for future identification of pieces.

 

[JimDon]

It’s a beautiful piece. It’s too bad someone polished it and took off all the original patina. Probably cut the value in half.

 

[Red-Coat]

I completely forgot to upload the group picture. Here it is for everybody to enjoy.

Thanks for the quick ID and I gather from the name the monogram is read from the center overlay letter then left to right? That will be good to know for future identification of pieces.

Very nice, polished or not. Thanks for showing.

Reading monograms of intertwined/overlaid letters is never completely straightforward. Generally, the most prominent letter or letters will be for the actual company name (which might also be the name of a person). ‘Most prominent’ can mean at the top, bottom or centre; or the largest; or distinguished by typeface (including colour in some instances); or the uppermost layer, if superimposed; or some combination of those.

In this case, it could have been the ‘M’ or the ‘H’, but I recognised the likely maker from the information you provided.

 

[bigcaddy64]

It’s a beautiful piece. It’s too bad someone polished it and took off all the original patina. Probably cut the value in half.

That’s exactly how it was found. I’m planning on removing the built up polish residue in the cracks and nothing else. I think some warm water and fine bristle paint brush won’t disturb/scratch anything.


The loss of patina is unfortunate but wouldn’t a piece like this come shiny when new and the patina occurs overtime. I realize some artists use chemicals to create patina but it might not be that bad. It will acquire a new patina with years of use.

 

[JimDon]

When they were manufactured they would’ve applied a patina to the item. They never would’ve been polished Copper.