Hello,
Hoping someone can help ID the maker’s mark on this weathered old gentleman I picked up at a garage sale 15+ years ago.
This old sea dog is stamped twice in two different locations, both with the same maker’s mark, and nothing else (see photos)—no metal purity, no date, no assay office. Unless I stand corrected, the letters appear to read C H O. My 17-year-old daughter’s young, fresh eyes concurred without the help of a loupe.
I’ll be honest with y’all: I know a hell of lot about hallmarks and maker’s marks around the world for gold and silver, and a hell of a little about meerschaums.
Here’s what I do (and don’t) know:
Hoping someone can help ID the maker’s mark on this weathered old gentleman I picked up at a garage sale 15+ years ago.
This old sea dog is stamped twice in two different locations, both with the same maker’s mark, and nothing else (see photos)—no metal purity, no date, no assay office. Unless I stand corrected, the letters appear to read C H O. My 17-year-old daughter’s young, fresh eyes concurred without the help of a loupe.
I’ll be honest with y’all: I know a hell of lot about hallmarks and maker’s marks around the world for gold and silver, and a hell of a little about meerschaums.
Here’s what I do (and don’t) know:
- I do not plan to smoke this nor do I plan to sell it. I did actually intend on giving it to my brother for his birthday last week now that he’s old enough not to immediately sell or destroy it, but didn’t for the simple fact that the unknown origins are still driving me mad.
- It does not appear to be sterling, but does not appear to be silver plate either. It has not been cleaned or polished beyond gently wiping away some of the silver tarnish.
- I’m aware that this is a Kalmasch style meerschaum but that that doesn’t necessarily narrow down the possible country of origin all that much.
- From research, my date estimate puts it at about the mid-19th century. Please God tell me I’m wrong—I will gladly be wrong if it means learning anything factual at all about this puppy.
- I understand that pipes were often made by one person and then sent off to a silversmith to add the silver fittings/mounts. So the maker’s mark on my pipe’s silver components could be that of the silversmith rather than the maker of the pipe itself.
