A lion passant, that is walking past you, has long been the symbol of purity in the British silver marking system.
The grape shears with the EPNS ar plate....EPNS stands for Electro Plated Nickle Silver.
Love the Robert Fulton Spoon!!
The claw is probably for serving sardines....the pattern name is on the tip of my tongue...but I can't spit it out! LOL!
The inside of the sugar tongs looks very "unfinished" to me....wonder if it's a restrike?
Keep posting...I'm loving it!
Linda C

The sugar tongs & sardine fork look like Gorham's Chantilly, but that was patented around 1890; I'm at work so I don't have a pattern book to compare. Old pieces in this pattern have quite a following.

The demitasse spoon is Gorham's Versaille (I think).
The candle snuffer looks like Strausburg.
The Whiting ladle is for cream, but I don't know which pattern.

Doing this reminds me of how much I've forgotten since I slowed down collecting.

Got to get back to work before I get fired!
Hester

I'm wrong - I thought the tongs & sardine fork were the same, but they're not. The eyes are the first to go!!!!
The sardine fork is a pattern called 'Buckingham', but the tongs are 'Chantilly', introduced in 1895. I was right about the snuffer being 'Strasbourg' (even though I butchered the name), 1897. And the demi is the high dollar 'Versailles', a multi-motif pattern of 1888. The Whiting cream ladle is 'Bead', 1880.
Is it possible that the plated scissor-thing is a sugar nip rather than grape scissors? Or does it have a cutting-type edge?
Hester

Don't look like sugar nips to me....they are more curved and with more of a biting edge (for want of a better word!)
I think it's grape shears.
Looking at the demi....made me dig through a couple of drawers and find a spoon that I thought was the same...but isn't. Mine shows a Cupid with a lyre, but the mark is one I don't know....shows a K in a circle, sterling and other symbols including an anchor.
Ach...I also need some stuff out and take pictures for Hester to comment on.
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: What I know as sugar nips

I'm not an expert on sugar nips - my only claim to fame is that I owned one made by Kirk in the 1850's & it was a scissor-type but I think the working end was different. currently, I own a pair of grape shears but they look like a normal pair of scissors with fancy handles. I'd say that the use depends on which job it is more suited. Is it sharp enough to cut a grape stem or strong enough to grip & break off a chunk of hard sugar? I can't tell from the photo, so Alisande, it's up to you to cut up produce & report back!

Linda, there are several patterns with a cupid, but a K in a circle with a rampart Lion is usually the mark of Knowles & I don't know of any patented pattern that they made like that. Nothing comes to mind about a K & an anchor. Post a picture & I'll do my best, but a lot of demi's were made for souveniers(sp?) & gift sets & weren't part of a full pattern.

Hester

Okay, I put the grape shears/sugar nips through a rigorous test, seeing if they would cut paper. (I didn't have any grapes.) It cut the paper easily but stopped halfway through the cut. Maybe they're actually grapeshearsugarnips.

Here's a couple more mysteries to keep you guys busy. First, silver-rimmed coasters. The mark indicates that they were made by William B. Kerr & Co. I'm keeping them, but I'd like to know more if possible.

Then, Stieff coasters. I'd consider selling these, but four of them are monogrammed. Women's first names, and the date '54. I have no idea who the women were and how my mother-in-law ended up with them. Her name is not among them.

Finally, some sort of server in an odd pattern. No mark whatsoever, other than STERLING, and the pattern is the same, front and back.

You have my permission to sell that last item...a tomato server.
But keep the silver rimmed coasters....nice for serving olive oil to dip your bread in at a formal dinner party.....
Linda C

I'm in agreement with Linda about selling the tomato server; I'd bet that the finding (the premade working end) is plated or stainless & probably isn't worth $10 on ebay.

What a great idea of what to do with the coasters! I never thought of putting olive oil in them, but I have some beautiful nut cups that would also work perfectly.

Alisande, Other than being a name connected to high dollar fancy smalls, my knowledge of Kerr is limited. Per Rainwater's "Encyclopedia of American Silver Mfgrs", they were established in 1855 in Newark NJ as Kerr & Thiery. They made flat & tableware, gold dresserware, & jewelry. They used a fleur-de-lis in 1892 & were purchased by Gorham in 1906 & moved to Providence in 1927.

Keep the photos coming!

Hester

Surprise! I'm back with more questions.

Can you ID this Stieff pattern? I'm not sure I took the pictures at the best angle. The very tip of the handle turns up a bit. The spoon is 7.75" long, by the way.

I found another Versailles piece, a little knife engraved "Los Angeles." It's 5-3/8" long. Would you call it a butter knife?

These spoons have been in my family for as long as I can remember. They don't look anything like silver plate, but there's no sterling mark. The back reads Kirk & Son 10.15. They look old.

Does anyone else find most monograms impossible to decipher?

And finally, here's another Stieff Rose piece. It measures 6.25". What would you call it?

Thanks so much. Your help has been invaluable to me. What can I do for you? The only thing I know I do well is write, and none of you seems to need any help with that.

I want to say the spoon is Mother's pattern...but don't think Steiff made it.
Yep...butter spreader....what does the rest of the piece look like?
The spoons are likely old coin...or maybe early American Sterling quality?/...But more likely coin.
The last piece is a cheese server....for serving hard cheeses from a wheel.
I need to get with the camera...I am prompted to dig stuff out and wanting to ask questions....
Linda C

Alisande,
The first spoon is an oval soup/dessert spoon. I don't see a matching patten in my book, but it is one that every maker carried. I believe the pattern is usually called 'Tipped'.

Individual Butter Spreader is the correct term for the Versailles piece.

The Kirk spoons are a treasure. The pattern is 'Mayflower', patented in 1846. The 10.15 mark puts it being made between 1846 & 1861. It is coin & the mark refers to weight, but I haven't had time to read through enough to tell you the exact definition of 10.15, which seems to be a marking only associated with Kirk. I've bought several pieces of it at yard sales, though, & it always sells like hot cakes!

Thank you for sharing all of your treasures; the pleasure has been mine.
Hester