FORGERIES IN OLD SILVER

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18309, 21 April 1931, Page 5

FORGERIES IN OLD SILVER

HOW TO DETECT THEM. The fact that imprisonment and a heavy fine await the forger of hallmarks on silver deters people from making counterfeit punches of hallmarks. But another type of forgery is fairly prevalent. This is “transposed " hall marks, a quite simple process, done with a view to increasing the market value of comparatively new silver specimens. The entire hall-mark has to be cut from the silver bearing it, and then fitted and hard soldered into the fresh piece to bo faked. Heat is required during this process, so that the whole piece has to be polished up to banish the discoloration that results. Solder marks about the hall-mark can be distinguished. They take some three months to oxidise unless artificial means are used, and breathing upon the hall mark or applying heat from a gas-jet will usually suillce to betray this fact. Some knowledge of the dates of hall-marks is required, for frequently it occurs IliaL marks of the 16th. century are inserted into articles of a type not made until 200 years later. “ Additions " are another source of worry to the amateur collector. Spouts, handles, feet and lids are adde 1 to pieces with a view to “ improving them." If it can be proved that a piece of silver has been so treated, the value is naturally much less, but usually the fraud, is successful in " getting past ’’ the credulous. It is not wise to buy silver bearing damaged hall-marks or makers’ marks, especially when the date-letter has been wholly or even partly erased. Another dodge is to erase a monogram and rc-engravo the spot with a crest or monogram known to be attractive to collectors. This process can be detected if you remember that tho spot upon which this work has been carried out is naturally thinner. The value of any piece so ‘treated is lost.

The uninformed amateur will find frauds ot the types outlined some"hat difilcult to detect. Hut he should bear in mind that very few frauds of tills nature can bo successfully carried out without the necessity for re-pol-ishing tho entire piece, thus destroving the effect of oxidisation and making the piece look like new. And any such newly polished work impairs the value rtf a »-H- . [_| n . ;