Didnt know where to post this but guys... the Silver column says "whether it's bullion bars, rounds, pool accounts or even scrap" so im posting here.Wanted to ask you experts out there what you think of these spoons ive got - supposedly from Poland. They have some sort of hallmark,with numerals "15.20"(big spoons),"0,76"(small) and "1.00"(medium size). Also have some small spoons with the hallmark "Fraget" with some sort of markings i cant make out - Google tells me Fraget is a silverware company from Poland.Basically im trying to work out if they are plated or what silver content each of these spoons contains. Ill attach pics..of the hallmarks and the designs...maybe some of you are familiar (probably Spannermonkey!): Thanks for any help guys Cheers, GM
Its all Polish to me. Price paid? Weight? How many did you get? From where? Good luck with your quest.
Hi GM, As Fraget were a Polish silverplating Co, and Russian Jews weren't allowed pure silver when Poland was part of Russia, I'd be guessing that they're silver plated brass.. But I can't say that conclusively.. Cheers.
Unfortunately it looks like it might a silver plated, manufactured by a company called Koltchuginski Savod. http://www.925-1000.com/silverplate_K.html
I can't read Russian or Polish BUT My nana has a complete dinner set with the same design,I never really looked at them. I would ASSUME they are sterling not plated by the fuss she makes about them as the set came out with us in 1977. I don't know hallmarks at all. So it looks like I'm wrong
The toning certainly resembles sterling. Plated has a different darker magenta black toning. Does it smell when touched? Plated tends to have a coppery brassy smell.
last post appears to suggest the MHU is referencing the composite, Copper/Nickle/Zinc http://forums.ebay.com/db1/topic/Fine-Jewelry-Gems/Help-With-Mhu/520215082&
Price paid? - $5 at garage sale Weight?: all up,50 Ozs How many did you get? 6 Large(2Oz each) 6 med,12 small. They polish up beautiful with Bicarb and at least the ones apart from Fraget look the real deal to me...but hey whatta i know!? The Fraget ones have a plated tint about them.No real coppery smell on the others.Gave a couple of them a little cut with a sharp knife to see if any underlying different colored metal..nice ans shiny maybe thats nickel...? Spanner your Mum sounds like the expert,ask more questions thanks mate!! The thing thats got me are the numerical markings,i assumed 1.00 meant 100%,.76 was 76% and so on.But the ones that threw me were "15.20"on the large spoons....they also have a deep stamp "2C" it looks like GM
$5 for the history............ enjoy using them at meal time. There is a fine set of .925 Silver Knife, Fork, Spoon, Salt/Pepper/ Tea etc settings in the family that my brother holds. Family crest included. Some things can not be valued!!!!!!!
this is the thing about poland......so much silver yet they dont produce their own bullion .999. what they do do - and do alot of is .925 sterling silver. i wouldnt be surprised that these are not plated but .925 sterling.
I have purchased many silver spoons and other type flat ware. But I have never seen any from Poland, if silver they would most likely be .835 or .800. When makers produce flat ware that had silver content they would always mark the silver content because they prided themselves in their wares. They will be marked in a .800 or similar type decimal amount. Most likely they are plated.
Without handling them, I would agree - the second last spoon in the last photo looks to have a large patch of silver plate worn off exposing a base metal. What state are you located in? (profile is blank). A quick trip to a dealer with an XRF would quickly answer the question.
GP im in Melbourne,any dealers with an XRF anybody know about.What do they charge? Curious to know. Who needs and XRF though when weve got Spannermonkeys Nana to tell us what they really are?!!
Try Peter from W.Davis ,his in the city & a site sponser. I'll catch up with nana on the weekend & take some pics & some details
Yeah now worries SpannerM,ive been in to see him before.Hope Nanna ya can shed some light...hopefully for the positive, but i think Apollo is right ...but hope not!
I was in Poland not long ago. Visited the Kopalnia Zabytkowa / Tarnowskich ie. Silver mine that has been closed & now turned into a museum. I suspect the silver mine closure had a lot to do with it being uneconomical to mine.
Thanks for the info Spanner/Silver/everyone...damn.But they are bloody nice spoons and ill scrub em up and eat me ice cream with em...seein as i wasnt born with a Silver Spoon in me mouth this is the next best thing! Cheers GM
