Could it be?

[KangaWoo]

I just recieved this piece.
The plaque has silver hallmarks (Indian?) Could the tiger be solid silver?

I have done all the crude diy tests and am still none the wiser, although they are giving me hope. I'm not expecting it to be solid silver as it is a fair chunk and would weigh a decent amount.

Has anyone ever seen a similar one, and any ideas on the hallmarks?

Thanks in advance.

View attachment 1762433

View attachment 1762434

View attachment 1762436

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Greastart]

Hope for you it is....

How much does it weigh? Can you photo it with someting for scale?

Can you cautiously disassemble it to get a weight of the metal pieces and maybe discover any hidden hall/maker's marks?

Cool find. What's the story?

 

[KangaWoo]

Its not big but it is heavy, and most of the weight is in the tiger.
The tiger is solid and doesn't have any wear showing through any plating.
My tests show it is not magnetic, it seems to conduct temp fast, it tarnishes when i rub a soft cloth, and it leaves a dark line when i do the makeup/foundation test.
Nothing conclusive, yet all points in the right direction.

I will take it to a jeweler friend tomorrow before i try and dismantal it as there is an old leather like material on the base covering the bolt/nut.

Not much of a story, I saw it pop up on ebay and snatched it straight up as I like militara that is unique.
The seller was honest and said he knew next to nothing about it and didnt know if the tiger was silver or not. It wasn't exactly a bargin (unless it is solid silver)

Here is a pic next to a standard size lighter
View attachment 1762445

 

[KangaWoo]

i just noticed another positive sign. The tiger is a little loose and has worn a rather deep groove in the silver base from his chin, using a loupe, the groove looks silver all the way with no sign of a base metal.

 

[DizzyDigger]

I would have to guess it's a one-off from the 29th Infantry Division,
awarded by junior officers to a senior officer who is retiring or moving
to another post.

The 29th Infantry is also known as: "The Tiger Head Division"

 

[Kray Gelder]

Paraphrased from wiki, the 20th infantry division formed in India during WWII, served in the Burma campaign, then after the war, reoccupied French Indochina.

 

[DCMatt]

It is not an exact match but the marks look somewhat similar to colonial India - Warner Brothers of Delhi.



As you can see, the order is different and the center mark on your piece may or may not be a "W". But the horse head and SIL in a shield are very similar.

 

[docweiser]

If you can take the head off you can do a simple specific gravity test or you can drill a core sample through the mouth for chemical testing?

 

[KangaWoo]

That is great DCMatt. I posted it on a "identify my antiques" group on Fb and have had stacks of people searching for an id. I wish i could give you a prize

 

[SanMan]

One of my closest friends has been having some yard sales.
Good stuff, all good stuff. I was there a few days ago, a day after the sale, and saw a thick book
entirely on silver hallmarks. That old book is about 3" thick. I thumbed through it quick and it
was page after page of hallmarks. I told him I wanted it, asked him how much?
Didn't get an answer from him,...........
I just called him and left a message. I'll do my best to get that book in the next day or two.

With some luck one, or all of those hallmarks will be covered in that book.
"I should not have walked off without it"

Kicking myself.

 

[Terry In Florida]

I don't know much about the military, never served, but the only thing I found about the 20th infantry division was here at this Wikipedia, link...
From what it shows the 20th Infantry Division was only active between 1917–19.

Seems there is a difference between a Regiment and a Division. Here is an explanation of a Regiment vs a Division, link...

The 20th Infantry Regiment has been around since 1862 according to this Wikipedia link...

Seems the 20th Infantry Regiment, served under the 2nd and 25th Divisions, if I'm understanding it all. Perhaps someone with more military knowledge than I could either confirm or deny the findings. If they are correct then it seems like your purchase may possibly date somewhere around 1917–19, which would be awesome...

 

[tamrock]

That is an awesome piece of silver.

 

[SanMan]

I went by my friends place and picked up the silver hallmark, (silver history), book.

It's a wonderful book!

But it covers "early" silver,(copyright 1937)
Really early,....... more of an early silver history book.






I have glanced through it, and did a quick check of the hallmarks,......
They are too early to cover the hallmarks on the piece above.

It will come in very handy to look up "early hallmarks".
Especially those fro England, Scotland, Ireland, and other countries in Europe.