Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
Yesterday I started with a very simple example and didn't discuss much of anything new or surprising. The item itself isn't very remarkable - a silver pendant of little consequence. I referred to a few factors that suggested something about the date of the item, but I didn't discuss other features that might help narrow down the date of the item. While we may not care much about the pendant, I'll refer to a couple of the marks on the item for purposes of illustration.
Before I get into that, I want to make a comment about how common or unspectacular items can become interesting. An item can become interesting if it can be associated with a person or event that people find interesting. An item that otherwise would be thrown in the trash, might be treasured if it was owned by a celebrity such as Elvis Presly or Leonard Nimoy. An otherwise unremarkable iron spike might not be of interest until it is documented to come from a famous wreck such as the Atocha, for example.
I'll be adding to my list of factors that can be used for dating items. I've already done a little of that since yesterday. Below is the slightly refined and expanded list. It is still very far from complete.
Factors that can help date an item.
Shape
Designs or symbols associated with a time period or culture.
Image of real objects or events of known date.
Material composition
Stamps or markings
Country name or references.
Legal statement
Maker's mark.
Marks of composition or purity
Owner's mark
Patent or registration marks
Retailer's name
Statement of allowed, proper or customary use
Year or date
Known history of the area where found
Useage wear
Signs of manufacturing process.
Scientific age testing ie. radiocarbon
As I said, I'll continue to develop this list and add additional comments and qualifiers in the future.
The marks on the back of the Acropolis pendant that I showed yesterday showed a country name, a maker's mark (I think), and "800." While there was no date on the pendant, these marks can help narrow it down.
Hallmarks vary from country to country. Britain has the most extensive system for marking precious metals.
Country names occasionally change, so a country name can provide a clue to the date of the item.
Hallmarks can be researched to determine the date of the maker or manufacturer, which of course can provide a date range for the item.
See
https://www.925-1000.com/ to go to the online Encylcopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks and Makers Marks.
If you dig up an item on a shipwreck beach and it has the word "sterling" on it, what does that tell you about the age of the item? It tells you something, but you might be surprised to learn how long the term "sterling" has been used.
The sterling silver standard (the 925 ratio) first originated in England around the 14th century when King Edward I declared it mandatory for all silversmiths to manufacture silver products with 92.5 percent pure silver. Did you know it was that old? Years ago, if I picked up an item and saw that it was marked sterling, I would quickly conclude that it was a modern item and given it little consideration. Silversmiths in England and France began stamping-sterling silver objects with the "925" mark in the 14th century.
The vast majority of qualifying items made in the US from 1860 to 1970 – especially those made before 1940 – are marked "sterling" or "sterling silver." Very rarely are qualifying pieces of American silver from those years marked only 925. Prior to the general adoption of sterling silver as the standard of purity in 1868, silver was generally obtained from the melting of coins.
So if you dig up an item on a Treasure Coast shipwreck beach marked "sterling," you can conclude that it isn't from a 1715 Fleet wreck, but you can't immediately conclude that it is not old just because of the mark.
While a a mark indicating the metals purity can give a clue to the date of an item, the possible date range is fairly large.
You might want to read the Stamping Act of 1906, which regulated the use of such terms in the United States. (See
http://www.chineseargent.com/home/national-gold-and-silver-stamping-act-of-1906)
The Stamping Act of 1906, also known as the National Gold and Silver Marking Act, was amended in 1981.
While the law requires that gold and silver carrying a quality mark also carry the registered trademark of the person or organization responsible for the guarantee of quality, there is no United States law requiring that gold or silver be quality marked in the first place. If a quality mark appears, so must the trademark. Whereas a quality mark alone is meaningless, the appearance of a trademark serves to assign the responsibility for fraudulent quality marks. (See
https://www.stuller.com/articles/view/national-gold-and-silver-marking-act/)
In the early United States, no national assaying system was adopted, although the city of Baltimore did maintain its own assay office between 1814 and 1830. Since these could vary considerably in purity, from around .750 millesimal fineness to around .900, silver known as "coin silver" varies in purity. Silver at that time was sometimes marked "COIN" or "PURE COIN", but can also be without a standard mark altogether. After the adoption of the sterling standard, pieces were marked with "STERLING", the number "925" or the notation "925/1000".
The United States also had no date marking system. Because of this, some companies within the U.S., such as Tiffany; and Barton and Gorham, adopted their own date marking systems.
While American manufacturers did not apply assay marks, city marks or date marks, they did apply a maker's mark. This is generally not done today. The old hallmarks were as unique as today's logos, and disputes often arose when one company copied another's stamp.
"In the USA, The National Gold and Silver Marketing Act does not require precious metals to be marked with quality. However, if a quality mark is used, the mark must be accompanied by a manufacturer's hallmark that is a registered trademark or the name of the manufacturer. If there is ever a question about the content of a piece of jewelry, the manufacturer can be traced using the hallmark stamped on the piece....US law requires a maker's mark in the form of a hallmark or registered trademark in addition to the quality mark if the goods are quality marked. The name of the artist or manufacturer may now be used for this."
The Acropolis pendant was marked 800. 80% silver often called "coin silver."
In 1884 a law was enacted making .800 the minimum national standard for silver in Germany. In 1886 the use of individual city marks was abolished and replaced by the national mark (reichsmark) of a crescent moon and crown mark representing the entire German state. These marks became compulsory by 1888. That provides an example of how country names can help determine a date or date range.
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My main point today is that hallmarks can be helpful indetermining the age of an item. They might not give a specific year, but they can help you narrow down the possible date range even though it might take some research. Company names and makers marks can also be useful. Things differ from country to country and during different periods, so you will undoubtedly have to do some research for specific pieces that are of enough interest to bother with. In the case of the Acropolis pendant, it isn't really worth bothering with, but I think it provided the basis for an instructive exercise.
Did you think there was anything odd about the GREECE mark? Do you think that is the country of origin? If so, why wasn't it written in Greek?
I'm not satisfied with the organization or clarity of this post. It is just a part of a work in progress. If I made any mistakes, which is most likely, let me know. In the things I've read, I've seen things that really don't stick together perfectly, and I didn't double check everything. Still, I hope this information might help you in some way.
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The weather system that was developing in the Gulf has not strengthened. In fact it is less organized.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
