Books related to Silver Spoons and Hallmarks
One of the most important tools available to the spoon collector is a library of related books. The knowledge imparted from such reference material will allow you to find the area of study that most appeals, with the added bonus that the extra knowledge gained will give you the opportunity of finding a bargain, when out buying. It is surprising for such a specialist field how many books are available, and to what degree of specialty they achieve.
To the novice with no reference material currently available I would suggest that there are three books which widely cover the subject; "Silver Flatware" by Ian Pickford (for patterns and serving pieces), "English Silver Spoons" by Michael Snodin (for a general overview of early spoons and collectable pieces) and a book for recognising hallmarks. There are several of the latter available, from very inexpensive pocket guides, (such as "English Silver Hallmarks" by Judith Banister or "Jackson's Hallmarks" by Ian Pickford), to the huge compendium compiled by Sir Charles Jackson - the most up to date is edited by Ian Pickford . The ratings offered are purely my own opinion, are marked out of five and are based on how interesting it is to read and how well it covers the subject.
Many of the books reviewed can be purchased directly from us. Alternatively you may wish to try your local second-hand bookseller or library. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
At long last a book devoted to napkin rings has been published - Napkin Rings by Ole Lachmann. Available for only £28 (inclusive of postage & packing).
Georgian Silver Sugar Tongs - an excellent book for collectors & dealers alike and especially useful for beginners to the world of sugar tongs. The comprehensive guide to maker's marks will be of general interest to everyone keen on silver
East Anglia Silver 1550-1750 - a beautifully written and lavishly illustrated book - quite a steal at only £15 + £4 P&P (UK)
"Eighteenth Century Silver Tea Tongs" - a beautiful limited edition (1000 copies) book by Dr David Shlosberg. We have several copies available at £59.50 + £4 P&P (UK). Buy now as this book on sugar nips (a.k.a tea tongs) will become a collectors item in it's own right and surely increase in value!
We are pleased to offer the following indispensable titles by Tim Kent, one of the foremost experts in early English spoons. These books are generally difficult to find and can be very expensive if bought second-hand (e.g copies of London Silver Spoon Makers can sell for £50+). All available are new copies.
* Barnstaple Silver and Its Makers -Only £15 + £1.25 P&P (UK) *
* London Silver Spoon Makers 1500-1697 - Only £19 + £1.25 P&P (UK) *
* Salisbury Silver & It's Makers 1550-1700 - Only £26 + £1.25 P&P (UK) *
* Sussex Silver & It's Makers - Only £23 + £1.25 P&P (UK) *
* West Country Silver Spoons and Their Makers, 1550-1750 (Hard-back) - Only £35 + £4.50 P&P (UK) *
The following tables shows the books available to the collector. To make it easier to find a suitable book we have separated them in to the following sections:
| Hallmark Guides:- Books required to identify silver marks |
| Spoon Books:- Specialist books that are wholly or partly concerned with an aspect of spoon collecting |
| England:- Books about specific silver making centres or assay offices in England |
| Scotland:- Covering the subject of silver manufacture in Scotland |
| Ireland:- Covering the subject of silver manufacture in Ireland |
| Makers:- Biographies recounting the lives and works of particular silversmiths |
| Others:- Not fitting any of the above categories, but still of use to the spoon collector |
Those books with links have been reviewed, many of which can be bought from us:-
|
Author |
Title |
|
Pickford, Ian |
Jackson's Hallmarks |
| Tardy | International Hallmarks on Silver |
|
Author |
Title |
|
Emery, J |
European Spoons before 1700 |
|
English & Scottish Silver Spoons and Pre-Elizabethan Hallmarks |
|
| Houart, Victor | Antique Spoons: A Collector's Guide |
| Hodges, Graham | Georgian Silver Sugar Tongs |
|
Rabinovich, BS |
Antique Silver Servers for the Dining Table |
| Shlosberg, Dr. David | Eighteenth century Silver Tea Tongs |
|
Author |
Title |
|
Culme, J D |
The Directory of Gold & Silversmiths 1838 - 1914 (2 volumes) |
|
Gill, MAV |
A Directory of Newcastle Goldsmiths |
|
Gubbins, M |
York Assay Office & Silversmiths |
| Hartop, Christopher | East Anglia Silver 1550-1750 |
| Kent, Timothy Arthur | Salisbury Silver & It's Makers 1550-1700 |
| Kent, Timothy Arthur | Sussex Silver & It's Makers |
|
Mayne, RH |
Old Channel Islands Silver, It's Makers & Marks |
|
Murray, H |
A Directory of York Goldsmiths |
| Ridgway, M H & Priestley P T | The Compendium of Chester Gold & Silver Marks 1570 - 1962 |
|
Ridgway, Maurice |
Chester Goldsmiths from Early times to 1726 |
| Ridgway, Maurice H. | Chester Silver 1727 - 1837 |
|
Ridgway, Maurice H. |
Chester Silver 1837 - 1962 |
|
Sheffield Assay Office |
The Sheffield Assay Office Register 1911 |
|
Author |
Title |
| Dietert, Rodney & Janice | The Edinburgh Goldsmiths I: Training, Marks, Output and Demographics |
| Dietert, Rodney & Janice | Compendium of Scottish Silver II |
| Dobie, Kirkpatrick | Dumfries Silversmiths |
|
Finlay, Ian |
Scottish Gold & Silver Work |
|
James, I E |
The Goldsmiths of Aberdeen |
|
Moss, G.P. & Roe, A.P. |
Highland Gold & Silversmiths |
|
Moss, GP & Roe, AD |
Highland Goldsmiths & Silversmiths |
| Quick, Estelle | A Ballance of Silver - The Story of the Silversmiths of Tain |
|
A Directory of Scottish Provincial Silversmiths & Their Marks |
|
Author |
Title |
|
Bennett, Douglas |
Irish Georgian Silver |
|
Bennett, Douglas |
Collecting Irish Silver |
|
Bowen, John R & O'Brien, Conor |
A Celebration of Limerick's Silver |
| Bowen, John R & O'Brien, Conor | Cork Silver & Gold: Four Centuries of Craftsmanship |
| Jackson, R W | Irish Silver |
|
Author |
Title |
|
Glanville, P & Goldsborough, JF |
Women Silversmiths 1685-1845 |
|
Penzer, NM |
Paul Storr |
|
Phillips, PAS |
Paul De Lamerie, His Life & Work |
N.B. Biographies of silversmiths can also be found within books on specific silver making centres/assay offices - see above.
|
Author |
Title |
|
Fairbairn, |
Book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain & Ireland |
Do you have an item or collection of silver to sell? Please check out this page for further information