ELKINGTON ELECTROPLATE SILVER AND SILVER PLATE MARKS - HALLMARKS - DATE LETTERS Elkington - Elkington & Co - Elkington & C

The earliest electroplate made by Elkington's was marked with 'E & Co' crowned in a shield and the word ELEC TRO PLATE in three portions. 1840 1841 1842-1864 1865-1897 In 1841 and again in 1842 the mark was changed and a date number was added. The date number was in use from 1841 to 1848 (the 6 was reversed). DATE 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 NUMBER 1 2 3 6 5 6 (rev.) 7 8   In 1849 the series was altered to letters, beginning with K   DATE 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 LETTER K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z   With the beginning of the new series of letters in 1865 the mark was also changed. The date letter missed out B, C, I and J, while Q, not used by the sheet department and only partially by the cast department, was used as well R in 1877. date letter 1865-1885 DATE 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 LETTER A D E F G H K L M N O DATE 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885   LETTER P Q R S T U V W X Y Z   Slightly different marks were used in 1898-1899 and from 1900 onwards.   1898-1899 1900 onwards date letter 1886-1911 DATE 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 LETTER A B C D E F G H I J K L M DATE 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 LETTER N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z date letter 1912-1936 DATE 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 LETTER A B C D E F G H I J K L M DATE 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936   LETTER N O P R S T U V W X Y Z   date letter 1937-1960 DATE 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 LETTER A B D E F G H I J K L M DATE 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 LETTER N O P R S T U V W X Y Z date letter 1961-1986 (but production at Walsall stopped in 1968) DATE 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968         LETTER A B D E F G H I         ELKINGTON HISTORY Elkington & Co. are one of the most important names in English silver and certainly the most important in silver plate. They began life in Birmingham as a company of silversmiths in 1836, and experimented with improving gilding techniques.  By 1838 they had discovered and patented a new way to electroplate one metal on to the surface of another. By 1840 production was already underway with silver electroplated wares. The company received financial backing from Josiah Mason in 1842 (renaming the firm Elkington, Mason & Co between 1842 and 1861) and was extremely successful. It introduced electrotyping as a new method of production for silver plated items. Elkington & Co exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 with enormous success.   In 1885 Elkington registered designs by Christopher Dresser. Dresser's designs included tea services, sugar bowls, claret jugs, kettles, cruet stands, baskets, a tureen and a tankard. His models are recorded in Elkington's silver and plated ware pattern-books. Elkington held Royal Warrants for Queen Victoria, King Edward VI, King George V, King Edward VIII and King George VI. The Elkington & Co. name is still in use today as manufacturers under the auspices of British Silverware Ltd.   this is a page from www.silvercollection.it