What happened to Wallace Sterling Silver?
During the 1950s, Wallace acquired two other silver manufacturers—the Tuttle Silver Company and Smith & Smith. Wallace was owned by the Hamilton Watch Company from 1959 to 1983, then traded hands multiple times before ending up as part of Lifetime Brands in 2006. Wallace Sterling Silver Grand Grande Baroque - 4 pc Pla…
What kind of silver did Henry Wallace make?
Wallace is considered the first American metalsmith to make spoons out of German silver, which he supplied to Hall, Elton & Co. Beginning in 1849, Wallace began diversifying his product lines to add other forms of flatware.
How did William Wallace start making silver spoons?
At 16, Wallace began apprenticing with spoon-maker Captain William Mix, a well-known craftsman who worked for the Meriden Britannia Co. Wallace opened his own workshop in 1833, focusing on silver spoons . The following year, Wallace approached German chemist Louis Feuchtwanger to learn more about the durable metal called “German silver.”
Is Wallace silverware worth anything?
A five-piece place setting of Wallace Grand Baroque can be worth between $300 and $500.
Is Wallace silverware real silver?
Wallace opened his own workshop in 1833, focusing on silver spoons. The following year, Wallace approached German chemist Louis Feuchtwanger to learn more about the durable metal called “German silver.” Also known as nickel silver, the alloy's principal component is copper and, in fact, it contains no silver at all.
How do you read silver plate hallmarks?
The standard mark identifies your item as being silver. The mark for sterling silver is the lion passant or the lion passant guardant. Both look like a lion in profile. On earlier pieces of silver the lion is looking toward you, and this is a lion passant guardant.
How do you identify silver makers marks?
Silver hallmarks are one of the most important factors in identifying antique silver jewelry, flatware, and other items. These small stamped symbols on the back or underside of silver items can tell you the purity of the silver, the manufacturer of the piece, and sometimes even the date it was made.
Is Wallace a good flatware brand?
Established in 1835, Wallace is renowned for exceptional quality and craftsmanship.
What is the most valuable silverware?
Handcrafted in New York by silversmith Cornelius Kierstede during the early 1700s, the Antique American Punch Silver Bowl surpassed all American silverware sale records by exceeding initial estimates of $400,000 and $800,000 — selling for a whopping $5.9 million.
How can you tell how old silver is?
Your silver will have a hallmark called a date letter. This marking will tell you when it was produced. However, the date letters used differ depending on where the silver was assayed. For example, the date letter for 1898 in London is a lowercase c, but in Sheffield, it's a lowercase f.
How do you date sterling silver?
0:211:49How to easily identify and date sterling silver hallmarks - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd as I say the year it was made differences modern silver is often marked 9:00 to 5:00. That's 925MoreAnd as I say the year it was made differences modern silver is often marked 9:00 to 5:00. That's 925 parts silver to every thousand parts 925 is the sterling.
What are the markings on sterling silver?
In the United States, sterling silver is classified as containing 92.5% or more silver, which is why you might see “sterling” or “925” stamped at the bottom of an authentic sterling silver piece. That's the key identifier that a piece is sterling silver.
What are the 5 standard silver marks?
There are 5 standard marks found on British Silver:The walking lion for all sterling silver made in England.The standing lion for all sterling silver made in Glasgow.The thistle for for all sterling silver made in Edinburgh.The crowned harp for all sterling silver made in Dublin.More items...
How do you identify hallmarks?
The four components of a hallmark are: the sponsor or maker's mark, the standard mark, the assay office mark and the date letter for the year. Hallmark identification should answer four important questions - where; what; when; who. Where? Locate the assay office.
How do you identify a Makers Mark?
A Maker's Mark is a unique stamp placed on jewelry and watches to ensure the authenticity of the manufacturer. These stamps are typically made up of the manufacturers initials, name, or another unique representative symbol. Identifying this mark is the first step in determining the value of a piece of jewelry.
What does it mean when a Wallace silver is bright?
Any particularly bright spots might indicate that a scratch or dent has been polished or burnished out.
Who owns Wallace Silversmiths?
In 1959, Hamilton Watch Company acquired Wallace Silversmiths (as it was then known), and was itself acquired by Katy Industries in 1983. In 1986, Syratech acquired Katy Industries and moved Wallace to East Boston, near the original seat of American silver design and manufacturing.
What is Wallace silver flatware?
Wallace sterling silver flatware is an American classic, offering a range of patterns to suit every taste, from the ornate, like its Sir Christoper or Grand Baroque lines, to the simple, such as Cardinale or Palatina.
Where did Robert Wallace start his career?
Robert Wallace began his career as an apprentice for Meriden Brittania Company in Connecticut, then one of the preeminent silver makers in Northeast America. In 1833, Wallace left Meriden Brittania to start his own firm, specializing just in spoons.
What is the Wallace leaf?
It is a very formal three-dimensional acanthus leaf design strongly influenced by the French late Renaissance and early Baroque style but is not as cumbersome to handle as its rich and heavy design suggests. Wallace celebrated its 65th anniversary with a special release of a 90-piece edition.
When did Robert Wallace die?
Robert Wallace died in 1892 and his sons (as well as his sons-in-law) led the business' continuing expansion in german silver, silver plated stainless steel, and sterling silver. After focusing on production capacities, the company expanded aggressively into silver design in the 1930s, introducing several new lines, ...
When was sterling silver invented?
It wasn't until 1875 that Wallace, then 60 years old, introduced the first Wallace sterling silver flatware lines: Hawthorne, The Crown, and St. Leon. The company was then known as R. Wallace and Sons Manufacturing Company.
What is the metal that Wallace discovered?
The following year, Wallace approached German chemist Louis Feuchtwanger to learn more about the durable metal called “German silver.”. Also known as nickel silver, the alloy’s principal component is copper and, in fact, it contains no silver at all.
Where is Wallace Silversmiths located?
The company was renamed again in 1956, this time as Wallace Silversmiths, and relocated its headquarters to Wallingford, Connecticut after purchasing the Watson Company's factory there. During the 1950s, Wallace acquired two other silver manufacturers—the Tuttle Silver Company and Smith & Smith.
What was Wallace's 3D flatware called?
In the 1930s, Wallace improved its mass-production techniques and released the first of William Warren’s famous series of “Third Dimension Beauty ” flatware patterns, named for the ornate 3-D quality of their designs, which are visible from the front, back, and profile of the pieces.
When did Robert Wallace's silver flatware company merge?
The two businesses were merged in 1879 and the Wallace name began to gain wider recognition for its silver projects. Though Robert Wallace died in 1892, the younger generation of Wallaces continued to grow the company, such that Wallace was the largest silver flatware producer in the world at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Who owns Robert Wallace?
Wallace was owned by the Hamilton Watch Company from 1959 to 1983, then traded hands multiple times before ending up as part of Lifetime Brands in 2006. Born in Connecticut in 1815, Robert Wallace was the son of Scottish immigrants, who also worked in silver.
Where is the sterling symbol on a silver bracelet?
In most cases, you’ll find the word sterling on the back of each piece’s handle . In some cases, your silver may have a different identifying logo that is used to mark sterling pieces.
How to identify silverware?
Tips for Silver Patterns Identification 1 Polish your silverware if you’re having difficulty determining the manufacturer’s mark. Sometimes cleaning it can make it easier to identify. 2 Look for “925” or another number. This identifies how much of the piece is made from bsterling. 3 Sometimes looking for antique silverware markings that show your flatware set is not sterling silver is just as helpful as looking for sterling marks. If you see “IS” or “A1” on your silverware, it indicates that the piece is silver-plated, not sterling silver. 4 There are some companies that provide silver patterns identification services. You take a clear picture of your silverware pattern and email or fax it to them. Their experts then help you determine the pattern. 5 Remember that some manufacturers changed their company marks over time, especially when a company was bought out or merged with another. If the mark you find doesn’t quite match the image you see online, continue your search into that manufacturer to see if they used a different mark at some point.
What does it mean when you see A1 on silverware?
If you see “IS” or “A1” on your silverware, it indicates that the piece is silver-plated, not sterling silver. There are some companies that provide silver patterns identification services. You take a clear picture of your silverware pattern and email or fax it to them.