sarahkennedy Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Hi there. I am a Canadian journalist living in London and was hoping someone may be able to help me with a story I'm working on. The National Hockey League (NHL) will be having its season opener game in London because there is significance with the history of the NHL and the UK. In the 1890s a silversmith in Sheffield created the beloved Stanley Cup and it was then sold from a shop on Regent Street in London. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how I might be able to track down who the silversmith was in Sheffield who created the cup? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much. Sarah Kennedy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHAIRBOY Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 The Stanley Cup was made by a London silversmith -- and hence has to be sterling (.925) silver. http://www.answers.com/topic/stanley-cup "Lord Stanley purchased a decorative bowl, forged in Sheffield, England, from London silversmith G.R. Collis and Company (now Boodles and Dunthorne Jewelers) for ten guineas ($48.67 USD at that time)." Is this of help? Possibly not! "Made by a London silversmith" was a quote from a trivia site but there does seem to be some debate as to whether it was made in London or Sheffield. Perhaps the London site can offer suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiffRaff Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Out of interest, the .925 quality that Chairboy mentions is the minimum level for an object to be regarded as 'Sterling' silver. Most 'serious' collectors of silver - 1oz ingots, for example - demand a level of '.999 fine'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolidsSister Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Mappin and Webb were a firm of Sheffield silversmiths who had a shop on Regent St - see http://www.mappin-and-webb.co.uk/ourhistory.html They might have records in their archives... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lastyz Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Why not just look at the hallmarks on the Cup? Problem solved. Or at least a starting point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHAIRBOY Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Why not just look at the hallmarks on the Cup? Problem solved. Or at least a starting point. Not so straight forward. The journalist is in London, the cup is in Canada. I may be writing about the Cheltenham Gold Cup but it doesn't mean I can access it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 The Company of Cutlers should be your first, and possibly your last call. http://www.cutlers-hallamshire.org.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lastyz Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Not so straight forward. The journalist is in London, the cup is in Canada. I may be writing about the Cheltenham Gold Cup but it doesn't mean I can access it.[/QU Not so, the Stanley Cup is in London with the Ducks. Anyway, the Cup was purchased from G R Hollis, or Collis, in London. The starting point is the makers mark. If they were manufacturing silversmiths, (I can find no record of that), they would have made it themselves, and it would have their hallmark. If they weren't, and only retailers, the silversmiths in Sheffield may have hallmarked it themselves. The mark will determine in which city it was hallmarked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 The mark will determine in which city it was hallmarked. But not necessarily the place of manufacture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HughW Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Unless there is specific knowledge to the contary, it is unlikely that the original cup is in London. It is more likely to be one of the two replicas used on such occasions. There is no reason to think the makers of the replicas reproduced the hallmarks, if any. (that might actually be illegal). Try as I might I can't find any reference to hallmarks on the cup. GR Collis and Co, however, were manufacturing silversmiths, originating in Birmingham. I found this on an antique silver site: George Richmond Collis & Co acquired models from Rundell, Bridge & Co at their dissolution sales in 1842 and 1843 and the company was renowned for executing extremely high quality copies of items made in former years in well known forms. There is a wealth of information regarding George Richmond Collis & Co in volume I of John Culme's "Directory of Gold & Silversmiths Jewellers & Allied Traders 1838-1914". The company succeeded to the business of Sir Edward Thomason in Birmingham in 1835 and continued manufacturing in the same flamboyant and prolific style. They advertised themselves as "Manufacturers of articles in the highest Classes of the arts" and their popularity was due to their unfailingly high standard of production. The firm opened a branch in London in circa 1847. Mr. George Richmond Collis was Vice-Consul for France, Russia, Portugal, Turkey etc. Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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