Help With Silverware

flyadive

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NJ
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Whites
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Metal Detecting
Please help identifying
My wife’s grandfather was a chef in France , Philadelphia and later in Atlantic City NJ.
I believe he acquired mismatched silverware in his travels.
There are so many makers marks on matching silverware that it’s making my head spin!
I believe the Date from 1864- 1920’s?
Appreciate it very much, thank you for your help.
here are a few photos
 

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You have a mix of sterling and silver plate. Any marked AI is going to be silver plate and worth little. and EP is also no good. Each silver mark needs to be identified. The fork with the 3 marks appears to be English sterling.
 

It says Alfred? Blanc.
Blanc meaning white metal?
The triangle hallmark has an “A” 2 stars and a moon. Which I think is French .
The other hallmark looks like a date of 1863? Not sure..
 

The last fork pictured is marked for Armand Frenais of 77 boulevard Richard-Lenoir, Paris. The company was active between 1877-1927 but the style of the marks om your fork is that used between about 1900-1913.

The anchor mark at the left is a silverplate mark and usually has the initials ‘AF’ straddling it, together with either the numbers ‘84’ or ‘72’. The numbers indicate the weight of silver in grams used in the plating bath per two dozen spoons or forks. Your mark is indistinct.

Frenais1.webp


The mark at the right says ‘A.FRENAIS’ with the word ‘BLANC’ below it and a number (that I can’t read). ‘Blanc’ is French for ‘white’ meaning that it is white metal, not silver. The number will be the last single digit or last two digits of actual year of manufacture in the 1900s up until 1913.

Frenais2.webp


Better pictures of any other marks would (might) help identify the other items. To put dates to flatware patterns, need to see both the upper side of the handle as well the marks on the reverse. Engraved monograms on handles don't usually help since they're normally bespoke additions relating to a customer.
 

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