THE DIRECTORY OF CANADA SILVERSMITHS
|
|
|
created by Giorgio B. owner of www.silvercollection.it ©  |
 |
 |
This is a page of A Small Collection of Antique Silver and Objects of vertu, a 1500 pages richly illustrated website offering all you need to know about antique silver, sterling silver, silverplate, sheffield plate, electroplate silver, silverware, flatware, tea services and tea complements, marks and hallmarks, silver marking system and silver hallmarks guide, articles, books, auction catalogs, famous silversmiths (Tiffany, Gorham, Jensen, Elkington, WMF, Reed & Barton, Mappin & Webb, Bateman Family), |
| CANADA SILVERSMITHS - ALPHABETICAL LISTING: B |
|
There was no official regulation of the purity of the metal used in the industry in Canada until the early 20th century. After 1760 Montreal gradually took over as the center of silversmithing in Canada although there were also a number of silversmiths in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces. English styles became the norm and silversmiths began to use English-style maker's marks with their initials in a rectangular outline. These marks were occasionally accompanied by "Montreal", "Quebec" or "H", "HN" or "HNS" for Halifax. 
|
By the early 19th century it was common to include pseudo marks that resembled British hallmarks, like sovereign's heads, lions, crowns. 
|
|
The current Canadian hallmarking system is based on the Precious Metals Marking Act of 1985. Jewellery makers, importers and retailers are responsible for having the correct hallmarks on items. Hallmarks must be registered by the Register of Trademarks, Industry Canada in which abbreviations and inscriptions for jewellery items in either English or French are permitted. For silver items, "sterling" (92.5% silver and 7.5% other alloys ) is considered the standard measurement for purity under federal regulations. Authentic sterling silver items are stamped with "STERLING", "STER", or "925". Hallmarks that follow the traditional British certifying system or has applied by the government of any foreign country under the laws of that country may also be placed on the item. Where an article that is wholly manufactured in Canada is composed of a precious metal of a quality prescribed in the regulations and has an authorized quality mark applied to it, there may be applied to the article a national mark consisting of: - a lion's head inside a letter "C"( (1934-1978) - a maple head inside a letter "C" (after 1978) 
 |
| CANADIAN SILVERSMITHS A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MARKS |
(click on the photo to enlarge image)
 SILVERSMITH'S NAME |
MARK - TOWN - DATE |
| BAILEY Geo.B. |
G.B. Montreal, Quebec c.1880s Touch mark acquired by Henry Birks & Sons |
| BAKER T.H. |
London, Ontario c. 1880s/1970s |
| BARLOW Edouard |
Ed BARLOW into a rectangle and pseudo English duty mark Montreal, Quebec c. 1830s |
BARRY John
 |
J.B. and N.B in two rectangles and pseudo English hallmarks BARRY into a rectangle and pseudo English hallmarks Saint John, New Brunswick Active c. 1830s/1860s at Germain Street and later in King Prince William Street, Saint John |
| BAUME Gustave |
Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1830s |
| BEAN John |
J.B into a rectangle and pseudo English duty mark Montreal, Quebec c. 1830s |
| A.BEAUCHAMP Jeweller |
A.B. Montreal, Quebec c.1860s/ 1880s Touch mark acquired by Henry Birks & Sons |
| BEAUDRY Narcisse |
N.BEAUDRY pseudo English duty mark STERLING Montreal, Quebec c. 1850s/1880s Touch mark acquired by Henry Birks & Sons |
| BECKER CORNELIUS & CO |
Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1870s |
| BELLS W.M. |
Toronto, Ontario c. 1830s/1860s |
| BEGUAY Jean Baptiste |
Quebec City, Quebec c. 1780s/1810s |
BENEDICT PROCTOR MFG. CO
 |
Trenton, Ontario c. 1920s/1970s. Flemish Copper is probably a style name for the non-silver plated wares of Benedict Proctor Mfg. Co. of Trenton, Ontario, Canada. They began in Toronto in 1913 and relocated to Trenton in 1917. The factory closed in 1982 and was demolished to make way for a park on the Trent River |
| BENNETT John B. |
Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1870s |
| BESSONETT J.S.B. |
J.B.in a rectangle and pseudo English hallmarks Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1820s/1830s |
BEWES Daniel |
D.B into a rectangle and pseudo English hallmarks Quebec City, Quebec c. 1840s/1850s |
| BILSKY & Son |
BILSKY & SON Ottawa, Ontario c. 1880s Touch mark acquired by Henry Birks & Sons |
BIRKS HENRY & SONS Ltd
 |
BIRKS and pseudo English hallmarks BIRKS STERLING H.B. & CO H.B.& S Montreal, Quebec c. 1880s/1970s Established by Henry Birks in 1879. The firm became Henry Birks & Sons in 1893. Incorporated as Henry Birks & Sons Ltd in 1905. The firm used the trade mark "Garb of wheat" and REGENCY PLATE. In 1925 Birks received permission from the London assay office to mark their sterling silver with a date letter that corresponded to the London assay office date letter. From this time most of their hollowware was marked with Birks Sterling (no serifs) and a set of pseudo hallmarks that included a sheaf of wheat (Trademarked by Birks), a lion passant, and a date letter that corresponded to the London date letter for the year of production.  |
| BISHOP Henry |
HGB in a rectangle New Minas, Nova Scotia c. 1860s |
BLACHE René |
RB in script Montreal, Quebec c. 1810 |
BLACK William A. & Samuel
 |
WA & S into three rectangles and pseudo English duty mark WM & S.BLACK into a rectangle and pseudo English duty mark Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1810s/1830s |
BLACK, PARKER & BLACK |
BP &B into a rectangle and pseudo English duty mark Halifax, Nova Scotia partnership of William Anderson Black (1788-1864), Samuel Black and Nathaniel Parker (1810-1812). William Anderson Black was partner from 1812 to 1825 with Samuel Black, from 1826 to 1831 with Benjamin Etter Black as WM A. BLACK & SON, from 1831 to 1853 with Benjamin Etter, William Lang and Martin Pinkney Black as BLACK & BROTHERS |
BOHLE David |
DB and MONTREAL into two rectangles DB and pseudo English lion passant mark Montreal, Quebec c. 1830s/1870s |
| BOHLE Francis |
F.B and pseudo English lion passant mark Montreal, Quebec c. 1840s/1860s |
BOHLE Peter
 |
PB into a square and pseudo English duty mark Montreal, Quebec c. 1780s/1860s. Brother of David Bohle His silverware were also supplied to George Savage. In the late 1830s was in partnership with Robert Hendery |
BOHLE & HENDERY |
PB & RH into a square and pseudo English hallmark Montreal, Quebec Partnership of Peter Bohle and Robert Hendery (1850-1856) |
BOIVIN Louis Philippe
 |
LPB and pseudo English hallmarks Montreal, Quebec c. 1840s/1850s |
| BOLTON Thomas |
Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1810s/1840s |
BOOTH John |
Booth in script in a rectangle and pseudo lion passant Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1770s/1810s |
| BOURE Narcisse |
N.B into a rectangle and pseudo English hallmarks Quebec City, Quebec c. 1850s/1860s |
| BRAMLEY WILLIAM BRAMLEY WILLIAM & CO |
W.BRAMLEY Montreal, Quebec c. 1880s/1890s (William Bramley), succeeded by William Bramley & Co (1919 partnership with William Cameron) Active at 643 Craig Street, and, later, 4, Dollard Lane Montreal. Touch mark acquired by Henry Birks & Sons |
| BRAUN F.B. |
Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1850s |
BREADNER MANUFACTURING CO.
 |
STERLING BM Co MADE in CANADA Trenton, Ontario c. 1900s |
| BREADNER Samuel |
S.B. in script Carleton Place, Ontario c. 1900s |
| BREMER & NEWBURY |
Hamilton, Ontario c. 1850s |
| BROTHERS Wm. |
WB in a rectangle Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1780s |
| BROWN M.S. & Co (Thomas Brown) |
MSB & Co and pseudo English hallmarks MSB & Co into three ovals and pseudo English hallmarks M.S.BROWN & Co LTD HALIFAX STERLING Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1880s/1920s Touch mark acquired by Henry Birks & Sons |
| BROWN George Stairs |
GSB in a rectangle and pseudo English hallmarks Halifax and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia c. 1840s |
| BROWN Michael Septimus MS BROWN & CO 
 |
MSB in a rectangle and pseudo English hallmarks MSB & Co into an oval and pseudo English hallmarks Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1840s/1886. Became MS Brown & Co in 1886. Absorbed by Birks in 1919. |
| BROWN T.B. |
TBBROWN and HX into two rectangles and pseudo English hallmarks Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1800s |
| BROWN Thomas |
Halifax, Nova Scotia succeeded in the business to his uncle Michael Septimus Brown (c.1886) |
BRUFF Charles Oliver |
C.O.B into a rectangle Shelburne, Nova Scotia b. 1735 in Talbot County, Md - d.1817 in Liverpool, NS. After the apprenticeship to his father James Earle Bruff in 1760/1763 he began working independently in New York City. After the outbreak of the revolution he worked in the 1780s in Shelburne, Nova Scotia |
BURNS James |
J+B and N:B in two rectangles and pseudo English hallmarks Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1810s/1879s |
| BUTLER James |
IB into an oval Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1750s |
|
HALLMARKS OF ENGLISH SILVER -
MAKER'S MARK IDENTIFICATION
|
| IMAGES | A& AC |
AD AK |
AL AZ |
B& BB |
BC BO |
BP BZ |
C& CA |
CB CC |
CD CF |
CG CL |
CM CS |
CT CZ |
D& DB |
DC DL |
DM DZ |
E& EA |
EB ED |
EE EH |
EI EO |
EP EZ |
F& FD |
FE FJ |
FK FZ |
G& GB |
GC GG |
GH GL |
GM GR |
GS GZ |
| IMAGES | H& H& |
HA HB |
HC HE |
HF HL |
HM HU |
HV HZ |
I& IG |
IH IL |
IM IZ |
J& JA |
JB JC |
JD JG |
JH JK |
JL JQ |
JR JR |
JS JS |
JT JZ |
KA KZ |
L& LB |
LC LZ |
M& MB |
MC MI |
MJ MZ |
N& NZ |
OA OZ |
P& PK |
PL PZ |
QA QZ |
| IMAGES | R& RB |
RC RG |
RH RK |
RL RQ |
RR RZ |
S& SB |
SC SI |
SJ SR |
SS SZ |
T& TC |
TD TG |
TH TN |
TO TS |
TT TZ |
UA UZ |
V& VZ |
W& WA |
WB WB |
WC WC |
WD WE |
WF WG |
WH WL |
WM WM |
WN WR |
WS WS |
WT XZ |
YA YZ |
ZA ZZ |
| THE DIRECTORY OF MAKERS' MARKS | AA AE |
AF AZ |
BA BZ |
CA CH |
CK CZ |
DA DZ |
EA EZ |
FA FZ |
GA GZ |
HA HG |
HH HZ |
IA IG |
IH IZ |
JA JC |
JD JH |
JJ JP |
JQ JS |
| ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF MARKS | JT JZ |
KA LZ |
MA MZ |
NA PA |
PB PZ |
QA RH |
RK RZ |
SA SG |
SH SZ |
TA TH |
TI TZ |
UA WB |
WC WF |
WG WL |
WM WS |
WT ZZ |
| ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF NAMES | 18th CENTURY | 19th CENTURY | 20th CENTURY | PER TOWN |
| THE DIRECTORY OF CAPE SILVERSMITHS | A - C | D - I | J - M | N - T | U - Z |
| THE DIRECTORY OF CHANNEL ISLANDS SILVERSMITHS | A - F | G - H | I - P | Q - Z | unidentified makers |
|
BRITISH TOWN MARKS AND DATE LETTERS
|
|
|