🔎 UNIDENTIFIED What does "RITANN" mean on a flatware handle?

[invent4hir]

All, I found part of a flatware handle near an old hand-dug well, where over a 2-day period I also found a 1774 2 Reales, 5 large cents (2 in one hole along with a Imperial Standard flat button), a possible padlock keyhole cover, etc. Under 10x magnification the legible letters on the handle appear to spell “RITANN”. Per the Free Dictionary, the only words containing that are BRITANNIA & BRITANNIAS. The letter preceding the “R” is damaged and what is there may be distorted. It looks like an “R”, but could be a “B”. After the “N” there could be a faint “I”, but no letter appears to follow it.

If it is BRITANNIA, what does that represent? 1) A symbol of Britain? 2) Britannia Metal, since the handle appears to be pewter? 3) The name of a manufacturer (I wasn’t able to find)? 4) Other?

 

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[Tony in SC]

I would guess it's the style of the piece and not the maker?

 

[pepperj]

All, I found part of a flatware handle near an old hand-dug well, where over a 2-day period I also found a 1774 2 Reales, 5 large cents (2 in one hole along with a Imperial Standard flat button), a possible padlock keyhole cover, etc. Under 10x magnification the legible letters on the handle appear to spell “RITANN”. Per the Free Dictionary, the only words containing that are BRITANNIA & BRITANNIAS. The letter preceding the “R” is damaged and what is there may be distorted. It looks like an “R”, but could be a “B”. After the “N” there could be a faint “I”, but no letter appears to follow it.

If it is BRITANNIA, what does that represent? 1) A symbol of Britain? 2) Britannia Metal, since the handle appears to be pewter? 3) The name of a manufacturer (I wasn’t able to find)? 4) Other?

Britannia metal (also called britannium, Britannia ware,[1] or Vickers White Metal[2]) is a specific type of pewter alloy, favoured for its silvery appearance and smooth surface. The composition by weight is typically about 92–93% tin, 5–6% antimony, and 2% copper.[3][4] Some sources use the terms "Britannia metal" and "britannium" to mean different things.[5]

Britannia metal is usually spun rather than cast,[1] and melts at 255 degrees Celsius.[

Britannia metal - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Red-Coat]

We can’t be sure if there were additional words beyond ‘Britannia’ here, but my thoughts would be these.

There was a ‘Britannia’ pattern for flatware, but it didn’t look like the posted item, which is just a plain ‘fiddleback’ pattern.

For most items made from ‘Britannia Metal’ (which was used in America, as well as in Britain) it’s not usual for them to be marked like that although ‘Britannia Plate’ is sometimes seen, but more usually expressed as ‘BP’. Early manufacturers using silver imitations or plated base metal usually wanted purchasers to be unaware they weren’t getting silver. ‘Britannia Silver’ is a wholly different material equivalent to .958 fine silver, but it clearly isn’t that.

If it’s a trademark (and I would suspect that it is), it could be from Philip Ashberry & Sons of Sheffield, established in 1829 as Ashberry’s Britannia Metal Works & Public Rolling Mill producing spoons, teapots and coffee pots. They used ‘BRITANNIA’ as a trademark, although usually accompanied by an image of Britannia seated with shield and spear (at least on items large enough to accommodate both the image and the wording).

The trademark ‘BRITANNIA METAL CO.’ was also used by the Van Bergh Silver Plate Co. of Rochester, NY (founded in 1892 and merged into Oneida Community Limited in 1926.)

 

[Mud Hut]

Maybe a stamp from the Britannia Hotel? .. in essence, hotel silver?

 

[invent4hir]

We can’t be sure if there were additional words beyond ‘Britannia’ here, but my thoughts would be these.

There was a ‘Britannia’ pattern for flatware, but it didn’t look like the posted item, which is just a plain ‘fiddleback’ pattern.

For most items made from ‘Britannia Metal’ (which was used in America, as well as in Britain) it’s not usual for them to be marked like that although ‘Britannia Plate’ is sometimes seen, but more usually expressed as ‘BP’. Early manufacturers using silver imitations or plated base metal usually wanted purchasers to be unaware they weren’t getting silver. ‘Britannia Silver’ is a wholly different material equivalent to .958 fine silver, but it clearly isn’t that.

If it’s a trademark (and I would suspect that it is), it could be from Philip Ashberry & Sons of Sheffield, established in 1829 as Ashberry’s Britannia Metal Works & Public Rolling Mill producing spoons, teapots and coffee pots. They used ‘BRITANNIA’ as a trademark, although usually accompanied by an image of Britannia seated with shield and spear (at least on items large enough to accommodate both the image and the wording).

The trademark ‘BRITANNIA METAL CO.’ was also used by the Van Bergh Silver Plate Co. of Rochester, NY (founded in 1892 and merged into Oneida Community Limited in 1926.)

Red-Coat, thanks for the education. I agree, of what little of the utensil there is, it appears to be part of a "fiddleback" pattern. In fact, before posting on TNet, I spent an evening looking for different combinations of Britannia & fiddleback. I'll research Phillip Ashberry & Sons - as the company was established in the right timeframe - to see if I can come up with a match.

Perhaps I'll fine more of the utensil if/when I return to the site. With snow on the ground, that will thaw into Spring mud, it will be awhile.

 

[invent4hir]

Britannia metal (also called britannium, Britannia ware,[1] or Vickers White Metal[2]) is a specific type of pewter alloy, favoured for its silvery appearance and smooth surface. The composition by weight is typically about 92–93% tin, 5–6% antimony, and 2% copper.[3][4] Some sources use the terms "Britannia metal" and "britannium" to mean different things.[5]

Britannia metal is usually spun rather than cast,[1] and melts at 255 degrees Celsius.[

Britannia metal - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Kudos pepperj, for the info on Britannia metal. The piece has a pewter look to it.

 

[invent4hir]

Maybe a stamp from the Britannia Hotel? .. in essence, hotel silver?

Mud Hut, thanks - I'll look into that!

 

[invent4hir]

I would guess it's the style of the piece and not the maker?

Thanks Tony in SC, I guess it could be either.