THE DIRECTORY OF CANADA SILVERSMITHS
MARKS AND HALLMARKS OF CANADIAN SILVER


created by Giorgio B. owner of
www.silvercollection.it © English home page 		versione italiana page d'accueil en francais
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),
SITE MAP - HOME PAGE
CANADA SILVERSMITHS - ALPHABETICAL LISTING: E


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.
Benjamin Etter, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada F.S. QUEBEC F.S mark, Francois Sasseville, Quebec 1797-1864
By the early 19th century it was common to include pseudo marks that resembled British hallmarks, like sovereign's heads, lions, crowns.
F.M. and English pseudo-hallmarks mark, Franz F. Meyer, Halifax - Nova Scotia 1809-1847 IM NB and English pseudo hallmarks mark, John Munro, New Glasgow - New Brunswick 1813-1864
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)
Canada National mark 1934-1978 Canada National mark after 1978

(click on the photo to enlarge image)


SILVERSMITH'S NAME
MARK - TOWN - DATE
EASTWOOD James
 JE in a rectangle and pseudo English hallmarks
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
c. 1870s/1910s
ELECTRIC CHAIN COMPANY
Electric Chain Company of Canada - Toronto, Ontario, Canada Electric Chain Company of Canada - Toronto, Ontario, Canada		 ECCO STERLING
ECCO STER
ECCO G.F
Toronto, Ontario
Founded in 1916. Out of business about 1950


ELLIS James E.
JEE over T in a pentagon and pseudo English hallmarks mark, James E.Ellis, Toronto, Ontario, c. 1850/1880		 JEE over T in a pentagon and pseudo English hallmarks
Toronto, Ontario
c. 1850s/1880s
ELLIS James E. & CO
JEE & Co and pseudo English hallmarks mark, James E.Ellis & Co, Toronto, Ontario, c. 1881/1901 (courtesy Henk Pardoel)		 JEE & Co STERLING and pseudo English hallmarks
Toronto, Ontario
1870s/1901
James E. Ellis came from England in 1848 and bought part of the business of Rossin Bros, on ritirement. He retired in 1881 and his son, who had joined the firm in 1862, carried on a partnership with M.T. Cain under the style J.E. ELLIS & Co
Another source quotes that J.E.E. & Co was a touch mark acquired by Henry Birks & Son (1871-1901)
ELLIS James
 ELLIS and other marks
Quebec City, Quebec
c. 1820s
ELLIS & COMPANY P.W.
 P.W.ELLIS CO into an oval mark, P,W. Ellis & Company, Toronto, Ontario, c. 1852/1928 P.W. Ellis & Co - Toronto, Ontario, Canada P.W. Ellis & Co - Toronto, Ontario, Canada P.W. Ellis & Co - Toronto, Ontario, Canada		 P.W.ELLIS CO into an oval
E into a maple leaf
Toronto, Ontario
1852/1928
Active 1872/1928. Situated at 4 Toronto Street (1879). In 1872 the partners were the twin brothers Philip W. Ellis and Matthew C. Ellis, joined in 1890 by George Ellis. Ellis was sued by Gorham in 1904 because the trade mark was very similar to that of the American firm, and their flatware patterns also had a striking resemblance to those of the Gorham Company. The case was heard in Toronto and Ellis & Co. won. The company was the largest wholesale jewelry business in the country and continued its activity until 1928, when it was liquidated and taken over by Birks. The firm used the SOVEREIGN PLATE trademark for its silverplate production.
ETTER Benjamin
Benjamin Etter, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada		 BE in a rectangle and pseudo English hallmarks
BE in a rectangle and H N S into three squares
B.ETTER in a rectangle
Halifax, Nova Scotia
c. 1810s/1860
ETTER B.B.
 BBE in a rectangle
Halifax, Nova Scotia
c. 1810s/1830s



HALLMARKS OF ENGLISH SILVER - MAKER'S MARK IDENTIFICATION
ALPHABETICAL LISTING
OF SILVERSMITHS' NAMES		 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
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
AUSTRALIAN 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 NOT IDENTIFIED
BRITISH TOWN MARKS AND DATE LETTERS

work in progress on this page - your help, corrections and suggestions will be greatly appreciated -