Age?

[hosman321]

I won this today. When I bid, I knew it was probably not 18th century but I thought it would look cool with all my other stuff anyways. Winning it for $.99 kind of confirms that it's not that old. Is there any way to know how old it actually is? I think the crowned rose has been used for a few hundred years so that doesn't help much. Just curious to know if it is brand new. Thanks for any input!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/350484838996?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

[ironlord1963]

    Sure appears old to me.  Porringer Bowls I don't think was used much beyond the early century, and pewter was still used as more docorative but don't think they did a lot of these.  I will snoop around one of my books that have pewter hallmarks.  But if I was to guess I would say this is early century at the latest.  I think that you just got a deal because it wasn't being looked at much.  I have tried to sell a pewter items, but they never really seem to get much intrest at all, Then in today's world how many even no what a Porringer Bowl is.  Now that I'm typing is this how it is spelled, something don't look right with the spelling.  Maybe just me and way I not even sure I know what porriage is, expect for Goldlilocks like it     I say you got a cool item, and would bet this is Antique if not really close. 

[hosman321]

Thank you ironlord! I have been browsing and I found this site. It's a little confusing but I think it says that the crowned rose and fleur de lys are both still used on pewter today, as they were hundreds of years ago. This one should be interesting when it gets here.
http://www.fiskeandfreeman.com/Hallmarks.aspx#Pewter and Its Touchmarks

[hosman321]

I can see now that there are the initials V.T. in the crown, the site said that means it is continental rather than english.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Porringers were still made in later times, but they had definitely fallen out of favor. I was given one engraved with my name on the occasion of my birth by my great-grandmother. That was in 1962 and mine is silver. This looks old to me too. The hallmark doesn't look like a modern one.

[hosman321]

I would love to see yours tales! I see lots of brand new ones online so they are still made by the masses today. I would love to find this hallmark, let me know if you spot it ironlord! I'll be a bit disappointed if it is new, it would be really cool if it is 100+years old.

[hosman321]

I am going to write The Pewter Society because they have a free identification service available.

[hosman321]

It's 4:45am and I have been reading online for hours. I wrote the pewter society and would like to see what they say. It looks like it has very little wear in the right places in the pictures, like something pretty new. But on the other hand, I have been reading that putting the initials in the crown really only happened way back in the day. The newer marks on repros don't usually add that little touch. "Usually" being the key word. Here's more info/pictures, in case anyone is interested. Off to bed I go.
http://www.pewterbank.com/Marks-_Crowned_Rose_-_Jan_Gadd_....9.pdf

[mariok54]

Hi Hosman, It does have quite a bit of wear on the crown imprint, so it has seen some service. Pewter has fallen a little out of favour over here so bargains are to be had, but $0.99 is a bit of a steal. I still like pewter, and am always having to keep my hands well and truly stuck in my pockets when we walk round the Antiques centres, because it is now so very affordable! I think it could easily be 19th c, but when you handle it I think you'll probably be able to confirm 'old' or 'new'.

[hosman321]

I don't know why I am attracted to pewter so much, it's not silver or gold or valuable for it's metal content. I just love anything primitive, just for it's history. Something about the handles look late Victorian to me, and they look pretty darn uniform (machine?) rather than hand made. But the mark looks like the older ones. I don't know, I'll have to see when it gets here. It will be shipped out today.

The American 18th century pewter still seems to be hot and sells well. But I have noticed that the European stuff doesn't go for much unless it has a date engraved or a cool family crest. The same seller had this lot, which looks to be all repros. But I am curious about the 1742 one. Seems like that one alone would be worth the money if it's not a fake. I just don't know enough yet to be able to make that determination from 1 photo.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Pewter-Lot-10-Pieces-Shabby-Cottage-Americana-/350485664399?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519a92d28f

[hosman321]

Oh, I'm going to throw a fit! I was all excited to get this today, the tracking number says it is supposed to be here today. (out for delivery) But we already got the mail and it wasn't there. She better not deliver this one to someone else! If the tracking number says "delivered" later today I'm going to be so mad. She better come back here with it!

[hosman321]

I called the post office all fake frantic-like and told them that I can't have her do this to this package. It's an extremely important package and I need him to call her this time so someone else doesn't get it. He said he would call her right away. If I would have been all calm and non-chalant I would have gotten the same crap from them as always. Hopefully he actually does it. Grr

[ironlord1963]

Not sure if it is the same for you, but letters are delivered first and later that evening we always get Packages.  Hope it shows up soon.

[hosman321]

I wish it were that way here. We're out in the sticks here and the drivers carry the letters and the packages. It's the same girl that always delivers my packages to other people. I don't get it. Read the freaking address before you hand off a package with a tracking number to someone. Lucky for us, the people that get the packages usually bring them to us. I just don't understand how she still has a job. It's a huge deal to deliver someone's package to another person. People mail extremely important things. And if you have a post office like mine, if it says delivered, then it was delivered to the correct address. Period.

[hosman321]

She just came with it, crisis averted. Why she left it at the back door, I don't know. The path is overgrown from the bushes and I never would have found it back there. Anywho, definitely not a few hundred years old. It's machine made, which is quite surprising. I really thought that mark was old with the initials inside it. What's weird is that the handles look older than the bowl. Both handles are not exactly the same and look handcrafted/carved. But the bowl has the uniform "spin" marks on the bottom. Kinda like pottery. I'm assuming these were hand hammered back in the day? Or did they use a wheel? My guess is late Victorian but none of the Victorian marks look like that. I'm confused!