little silver dish found at church rummage sale

[SassyDetectorette]

I found this little silver dish at a local church rummage sale on the last day. Everything left over they had priced at a quarter and I bought it knowing it was silver to use for jewelry or something. Does anybody know about the lion on the front or the hallmarks on the back? I tried the best I can with the pictures, and tried to get diferent views of the dish. I also bought a book from the 1800s but I cant find it right now and it was veeerrrryyyyy boring!

Thanks for your help

 

[fisher2]

i have a replica that says its sheffield england from 1700-1800 looks like a candy or suger dish imo

 

[Kevo_DFX]

Crescent Silverware Mfg Co.
Port Jervis, NY (founded 1922)

Hallmark:
http://www.silvercollection.it/144crescentbis.jpg

I think your bowl is one of the more recent ones, a found a thread that talks about it, but the link is dead to the pic, so I'm hesitant to post it, but they appraised a "Clamshell Serving Dish with Snake's Head Motif" for $50.

Regards,
Kevo

 

[Kevo_DFX]

Oh yeah, it is silverplate, not silver.

 

[SassyDetectorette]

Wow Kevo! That was so quick- thanks! I think the church ripped me off for a quarter :P I would never have been able to decipher all of those letters.

 

[Kevo_DFX]

Heck sassy, a couple of years ago I wouldn't have known a button from a bridle rosette. Just watch the posts here. You'll learn a lot of stuff just by watching other people ID stuff. This is also the only forum on here that I post to, and usually the only one I read. I don't have enough time to comment on folks finds, so I don't post my own. But I can ID a few things, and I get a few things ID'ed. Quid pro quo.

Glad I could help.
Kevo

 

[littleneckhalfshell]

since you mention that it was at a church rummage sale, I suggest that it might have had another use than as a candy dish. A silver shell is often used in the Baptism ritual, the shell is dipped in the bowl of water and then used to transport the water to the head of the infant being Baptized.
I wonder if someone didn't realize that they just sold one of the Sacramental instruments for a quarter? ;-)

See http://www.cph.org/p-3794-3-baptismal-shell-silver-plate-with-gold-lining.aspx for a new item from a church supply catalog.