Need ID of marks on silver Mint Julep cup

[Antny]

Hi...with the quarantine, I finally got around to going through some of my tag sale treasures. Came across this and after some research, found out that it might be a Mint Julep cup.
It measures 3 1/4" x 2". & has a glass insert. It looks way older than the ones I found on line & can't find another like it. The bottom has nos. 002L & letters WBC EP in a pentagon. There are also some figures...a star, a crown and a chinese type figure. Also another set that looks like a half moon and star and 2 others that I can't make out. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[Red-Coat]

I don't immediately recognise the marks, but I'll think about it a bit. Those look to be pseudo-hallmarks and I'm not convinced of your reading of 'WBC EP'. The first letter looks more like an 'M' from your picture and I can't reliably tell what the second letter might be. Could it be an amphersand (&) perhaps rather than a 'B'. I strongly suspect that the 'EP' signifies it to be electroplate, in which case it couldn't be earlier than the 1840s.

It looks to me like a cocktail shaker of the kind that became known as a 'Boston shaker', which first appeared in the mid-1800s and hit its height of popularity in the 1920s. Does what you are calling a glass 'liner' fit snugly into the silver part when inverted to create a shaking container like this?

 

[Son&Son]

"ep" usually stands for "electroplate" indicating that something is silver plated.

 

[Antny]

Hi Red...you are right, the first letter is an "M". The second is definitely a "B". Yes, the glass fits snugly into it. Thanks for helping with this mystery.

 

[Antny]

Thanks Son!

 

[Red-Coat]

Hi Red...you are right, the first letter is an "M". The second is definitely a "B". Yes, the glass fits snugly into it. Thanks for helping with this mystery.

OK… that means it’s electro-plate from the Meriden Britannia Company, and I think from between 1852 and 1898. These would be typical marks:



In 1852 six or seven small Britannia ware plants in the town of Meriden, Connecticut were organized by Horace C. and Dennis C. Wilcox into the Meriden Britannia Co supplying Britannia, Albata and German silver ware, both plated and unplated, to many other firms.
In 1898 the Meriden Britannia Company ceased to exist as an independent entity and became part of the International Silver Company (ISC). Pieces after that date normally carry the ISC name alongside Meriden’s name.

 

[Antny]

You nailed it! Great research thanks. I was sure it was silver with all those fancy markings. I guess "all that glitters..."

 

[Red-Coat]

You nailed it! Great research thanks. I was sure it was silver with all those fancy markings. I guess "all that glitters..."

You're welcome. Silver or not, it's a nice thing and I haven't seen one before. Couldn't find an auction price either, although scarcity and value don't go hand-in-hand. If it had been a later cocktail shaker and in art deco style, it would be a very collectable item.

 

[EQ8]

I'd hit it with a polishing cloth. I bet it would look great.