Sterling hallmark help
- Thread starter Nick79
- Start date
I see a script 'S' on the back of your mirror, but I can't see the '500' that you're referring to? 
Most of the late 19thc early 20th century pieces of American silver that I’ve seen have been marked ‘STERLING’ rather than .925.
But British hallmarks will only be found on pieces from England, so your mirror was likely made in England.
"The pound sign (£) is the symbol for the pound sterling–the currency of the United Kingdom and previously of Great Britain and the Kingdom of England. The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies, such as the Gibraltar pound, the Egyptian pound, the Syrian pound, etc. It is also sometimes used for currencies named lira, for example the now withdrawn Italian lira. The symbol derives from a capital "L", representing libra pondo, the basic unit of weight in the Roman Empire, which in turn is derived from the Latin word, libra, meaning scales or a balance. The pound became an English unit of weight and in England became defined as the tower pound (equivalent to 350 grams) of fine (pure) silver.
According to the Royal Mint Museum: It is not known for certain when the horizontal line or lines, which indicate an abbreviation, first came to be drawn through the L. However, there is in the Bank of England Museum a cheque dated 7 January 1661 with a clearly discernible £ sign. By the time the Bank was founded in 1694 the £ sign was in common use."
Most of the late 19thc early 20th century pieces of American silver that I’ve seen have been marked ‘STERLING’ rather than .925.
But British hallmarks will only be found on pieces from England, so your mirror was likely made in England.
"The pound sign (£) is the symbol for the pound sterling–the currency of the United Kingdom and previously of Great Britain and the Kingdom of England. The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies, such as the Gibraltar pound, the Egyptian pound, the Syrian pound, etc. It is also sometimes used for currencies named lira, for example the now withdrawn Italian lira. The symbol derives from a capital "L", representing libra pondo, the basic unit of weight in the Roman Empire, which in turn is derived from the Latin word, libra, meaning scales or a balance. The pound became an English unit of weight and in England became defined as the tower pound (equivalent to 350 grams) of fine (pure) silver.
According to the Royal Mint Museum: It is not known for certain when the horizontal line or lines, which indicate an abbreviation, first came to be drawn through the L. However, there is in the Bank of England Museum a cheque dated 7 January 1661 with a clearly discernible £ sign. By the time the Bank was founded in 1694 the £ sign was in common use."
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grasshopper
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I found this online:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-An...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-An...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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Red-Coat
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Old thread I know, but Nick still seems to be around.
This is an American piece, not British. We have never used hallmarks like that in Britain.
The mark is for La Pierre Manufacturing Company, founded as a small shop in 1888 in New York, NY and then becoming an incorporated business in Newark, NJ in 1895.
They used various styles of that ‘£’ mark and continued to do so after being acquired by the International Silver Company in 1929 and moved to Wallingford, CT. I believe that particular style of mark was in use from incorporation until they were purchased by ISC (although the ‘£’ mark itself continued to be used thereafter).
I don't know what the '500' mark means, since sterling is obviously 925 fine but La Pierre pieces often have other letters or numbers on them that relate to styles or manufacturing codes... like this:
This is an American piece, not British. We have never used hallmarks like that in Britain.
The mark is for La Pierre Manufacturing Company, founded as a small shop in 1888 in New York, NY and then becoming an incorporated business in Newark, NJ in 1895.
They used various styles of that ‘£’ mark and continued to do so after being acquired by the International Silver Company in 1929 and moved to Wallingford, CT. I believe that particular style of mark was in use from incorporation until they were purchased by ISC (although the ‘£’ mark itself continued to be used thereafter).
I don't know what the '500' mark means, since sterling is obviously 925 fine but La Pierre pieces often have other letters or numbers on them that relate to styles or manufacturing codes... like this:
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