My 2 fave pieces. Would love to know more about them.

[MrBlingFellow]

Well, the thread is actually on behalf of a very good friend.

This is her solid silver eagle, it weighs 112 grams without the base it screws onto.

It was made by her uncle 'Eric Pollard' - a gold and Silversmith from EDIT: 'Hove near Brighton' (apparently he was well known but I can't find out anything about him).

We've been scouring ebay for similar stuff, but have no idea of its exact value.
Still, it's a beautiful piece.  











Then we have this odd little bottle with a cork in the top.
We have no idea about it's era, origin or anything really?

I thought it looked like it was French, but I'm no expert whatsoever....













Any info would be much appreciated.

I still have more to post, but I'm new and don't want to overload the place!

Enjoy & thanks!  

[snowflake]

Wish I could help you on that bottle. It sure is an neat item. I am sure someone else will know something.

[CuriousCollector]

Can you show the silver hallmarks on the bird?

[MrBlingFellow]

I'm afraid there are no hallmarks on the bird.

It was probably made in the guys garden shed.
It's definitely silver though. 

Is there any way of telling the purity?

[ironlord1963]

     Without the marks, which are their to control the purity of silver items, it would be hard to know the purity.  But I want to play the devil's advocate here a bit, I don't see a whole lot, if any tarnish that would be associated with sterling Silver, unless it is keep well polished.  About how old do you think it is?  With today's air quaility a Sterling piece left out will tarnish in less then a year.   All in All without a mark you will be hard pressed to prove it to be Sterling quality. 

[mart]

And without some type of makers mark,,collector value would be small !!  Although pics are too large for me to see yet,, I am sure it is nice !!  Sad to say but when you deal with a family made,,unmarked piece of silver,,with no documentation,,melt value is about all you can get !!  I am sure it is worth more to your family than that !!

[MrBlingFellow]

It's a v high quality silver & a beloved item of the family. Its always been kept hidden away in a drawer and well looked after.
It's about 60 years old.

I just spoke to my friend and she said her uncle (Eric Pollard) was well known in the trade.
He was from Hove near Brighton if that's any help? (I assumed cornwall in my 1st post because her and her family are mostly from 'round these parts).

Will be interesting to see if anyone does know of her uncle Eric.
I can't find a thing on google?

[mart]

I will look later this afternoon !! Her problem is going to be proving that he made it !!  If he was a well known silversmith it seems that he would have known to mark his work for optimum value !!  I find it a bit odd that he didn`t !!

[ironlord1963]

     Actually it is not only odd but illegal esp. in England.  Essay office and laws there require it to be marked, only a rouge silversmiths would have done this to keep from paying the tax.  I have two friends that are silversmiths and they mark everything because without the mark the value is really affected.   But I still have a problem with how it looks.  Silver unless it has been keep shined up, would not look this shiiny, esp. in the small details like the feathers and etc, It should be much more tarnished.  I am not trying to downplay the item, but from the pics sure looks Chrome to me.   

[fancypants]

One way to kill 2 birds with a single stone would be to take your item to a local jeweler & have them test (assay) the metal ... if it's silver , you can have it stamped as such , so as to firm-up the family claim that it is sterling ... for now & in the future .

Expect to pay a marginal amount for the service ; you may even want to call around a bit to get price quotes (just advice for being a 'smart shopper') .

[greenacres]

Could the bottle be made in Italy? It kind of looks Murano. They make paperweights with those kinds if objects in the glass.

[wendy177]

Good call greenacres the images in the perfume bottle are called silhouette canes these were used in paper weights also,  A silhouette cane is one in which a figure of an animal, person,  flower, or possibly a date or maker's name is the center design in a glass cane.
The first silhouette canes probably came from Venice about 1836. They spread quickly throughout Europe's glass factories. Baccarat and St. Louis frequently used silhouette cog canes, I think this piece is Murano ,
 http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/murano-perfume-with-silhouette-canes

Nice little find!!

[ironlord1963]

Good job Wendy and Greenacres,  Looks like a match to me.

[mart]

I found nothing when searching the UK for this silversmith !! Could be that he was a local and that was as far as his reputation went,,or family history has wrong information or he worked under another silversmith and did not use his own name !!  Was silversmith his primary occupation or hobby ?? While I can see his squirreling silver away for the future and to avoid taxes,,Its difficult to see how he could have made a number of items as most in that trade would have if he was well known and yet nothing turn up in a search !!  Over the years something would have surfaced somewhere it seems to me !!

[wendy177]

Yup mart came up with Nada on the silversmith also goldsmith , jeweler, watchmaker and so on!! Will need more info on family & friends like mart said to track this one and a jeweler to test like Fancy said!!!