Are All Peterson Silver Caps Hallmarked Like the Band?

[mtwaller]

I’ve seen a couple silver caps online at attractive price points, and all of the nomenclature on the stummels looks legitimate. The band is hallmarked, but from the available photos I see no markings of any kind on the cap itself. Looking at all of the new silver caps I could find online, they all bear markings on the cap at the front of the bowl. Should this be true for all silver caps? I was under the impression that all Irish silver has to be assayed and hallmarked. I can’t work out the date on some of these pipes, but they look to be at least a couple decades old. (I have no expertise to support that claim, but all of the lettering in the briar has patina/buildup down in there.)

 

[mikethompson]

Pictures would definately help in this instance.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Once your photos are on a photo hosting site (such as Imgur.com; Postimage; Dropbox, etc. Photobucket), or on virtually any site, including this site's album such as eBay, Amazon, you-name-it, select the full sized image, then Control-click (Mac) or Right-click (Windows) on the image itself, then choose "copy image location" or similar words. Now paste that URL (the full web address, which should end in .jpg or .png) into the IMG box in the reply window of the thread you're posting to.
The site's album is also a good choice for displaying photos, and the same method works for obtaining the image's URL for copying into the IMG box.
There are other good illustrations and steps on how to post photos in the "Latest Discussions" box,

LINK to that thread

 

[ashdigger]

If it's Peterson silver, it's hallmarked. If it's Peterson nickel it "generally" has faux hallmarks.
Peterson takes great pride in their silver work. As far as placement on the caps they are hallmarked before being attached and the silversmith doesn't attach them. So they aren't always in the same visual orientation.

 

[swilford]

If it's Peterson silver, it's hallmarked. If it's Peterson nickel it "generally" has faux hallmarks.
Peterson takes great pride in their silver work. As far as placement on the caps they are hallmarked before being attached and the silversmith doesn't attach them. So they aren't always in the same visual orientation.

Yep. What ash said.
Hallmarking doesn't happen at Peterson (sort of by definition: assay marks denote fineness as established by the government). It happens at the Assay Office. So, Peterson buys silver--tube or sheet--and it goes from Peterson in batches to be assayed, so it's usually worked after it's already been assayed and stamped.
As an interesting aside, the Assay Office is at Dublin Castle.

 

[mtwaller]

The band is definitely hallmarked, but I can discern nothing on the cap. Too good to be true, perhaps?

 

[ashdigger]

No hallmark no Peterson silver, but it's not out of caution. The cap could've been added after it left the Peterson factory by a repair person.
But again if it's not hallmarked, it is not Peterson silver.
Maybe it's a generic nickel cap.

 

[mtwaller]

ashdigger, MUCH obliged. My spidey senses told me this was too good to be true. We can’t all find deals like your new half priced spigot!

 

[mtwaller]

Also my initial reaction was exactly the same. Looks like a flame grain or some such that somebody churched up to look like a silver cap.

 

[mtwaller]

Every silver cap I’ve seen is very flat on the top, this looks distinctly beveled and thin like somebody worked it down over the existing bowl maybe?

 

[ashdigger]

Keep looking. Great pipes are out there.

 

[mtwaller]

I’m still waiting on my new beauty to arrive, but I’m growing impatient... once I get it I’ll probably calm the fuck down for a few weeks.

 

[ashdigger]

Liar. It's okay. We all lie to ourselves. :rofl:

 

[mtwaller]

Ha! You’re so right. I have at least 10 in mind that I want to buy right now. It truly is a sickness.

 

[jpmcwjr]

But it beats all other sicknesses!
And you have a lovely piece, there. Was the date of the pipe established?
Could the rim cap be plate? Or sterling added by another, as suggested by Ash? Or nickel highly polished?

 

[mtwaller]

Yeah it’s a nice looking 87... I’m sure I could email the seller and get an assay date on the band, but something about the pipe rubs me wrong, considering the cap just seems... off. I’m sure it’s a smokeable pipe, judging from the state of the bowl.