motherjunker
Jr. Member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
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- Nashville, TN (from NH)
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- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Hi! I am new to the forum. I bought this little cup at a thrift store, thinking it was just a steel cup or maybe pottery with a metallic glaze (which is what I'm sure they thought too). It turns out it's very likely solid silver. It is heavy, rings very long and clear when tapped, melts an ice cube in seconds, passes the "makeup power" test, is non-magnetic and tested negative for lead. (Those are pretty much all I could do to test from home.) It weighs 5.1 ounces and appears to be in just a cast form - not polished. It looks almost like galvanized pipe because it's a little rough. I thought it was pewter and was disappointed when it tested negative for lead. It never occurred to me that it could be silver! I was truly perplexed when the magnet didn't stick.
Anyway, at first glance it doesn't appear to have markings, but looking at it closely and if different light it becomes clear that there are in fact very faint markings on the bottom, and possibly on the side and inside. It looks mainly to be hand scratched or hand embossed letters and/or symbols. They are very faint and I have to turn the cup at different angles to even see them. I can see some at one angle and then totally different ones at another. Part of the lip of the cup has scratches that I think might be from teeth.
I'm attaching some photos. It's very hard to photograph this because it's shiny. I made a second file in Photoshop to show some of the symbols I see.
Any info is greatly appreciated. I am at a loss and don't know where to go next. I asked a silver expert and she seems to be at a loss so far.
Thank you!
Anyway, at first glance it doesn't appear to have markings, but looking at it closely and if different light it becomes clear that there are in fact very faint markings on the bottom, and possibly on the side and inside. It looks mainly to be hand scratched or hand embossed letters and/or symbols. They are very faint and I have to turn the cup at different angles to even see them. I can see some at one angle and then totally different ones at another. Part of the lip of the cup has scratches that I think might be from teeth.
I'm attaching some photos. It's very hard to photograph this because it's shiny. I made a second file in Photoshop to show some of the symbols I see.
Any info is greatly appreciated. I am at a loss and don't know where to go next. I asked a silver expert and she seems to be at a loss so far.
Thank you!
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