Victorian mother of pearl and sterling silver fruit knife, Sheffield, J.H., 1899.
An English sterling silver Victorian folding fruit / pen / pocket knife with white mother-of-pearl grips / scales made in Sheffield by J.H. (?) 1899. It is 3 ¼ inches long folded, 5 7/16 inches long open while the single edged sterling silver blade is 2 ⅜ inches long. The scales / gripes are pinned in three places by thin sterling silver cross pins. The front scale is engraved with an Aesthetic floral / bamboo design plus there is attached an 11/16 inch long narrow vacant sterling silver plate. The back scale has two spaced engraved radiating petal designs. The bolster and blade are sterling silver with the blade engraved with an Aesthetic design similar to the one on the front scales. The mark side (left) of the blade is impressed horizontally near the bolster along the top edge with the following touch marks:
- A crown for Sheffield in a square cartouche with canted corners.
- A lion passant (denoted sterling silver) in a rectangular cartouche with canted corners.
- The letter “g” (date code for 1899-1900) in a square cartouche with canted corners.
- The letters “H” (presently unknown makers mark) in a rectangular cartouche with canted corners.
