Antique Limerick Silver and its marks

Under the charter of Charles I that set up the assay office in Dublin in 1637, all Irish silver was to be sent to Dublin for testing and hallmarking.

However, Ireland in the 17th and 18th centuries was a dangerous place, with robbery by highwaymen a real danger. Many silversmiths in provincial towns and cities decided to stamp their wares themselves rather thanrisk having them stolen.

The main centres of production were Cork and Limerick, though some silversmithing took place in other towns too, including Kinsale, Galway and Waterford,

Limerick pieces are extremely rare. It is estimated that the ratio of Limerick pieces to Dublin silver is approximately 1:100.

Below is an example of Limerick workmanship; a set of four brightcut tablespoons, from the late 18th century. "Brightcut" refers to the faceted engraving along the stem of the spoon, which was cut so as to sparkle in candlelight.

At the end of the spoons is an engraved crest, possibly that of the Butler family, owners of Kilkenny castle. It depicts a falcon rising from a ducal coronet.

At the back of the spoons are the marks; technically these are not hallmarks, as they were applied by the maker and not by the assay office. You can see the word "Sterling", with the maker's initials "MFG" on either side. The is for Maurice Fitzgerald, who worked form 1760 to 1817, and is buried at St. John's.

So little Limerick work survives to this day that finding a set of four spoons would be extremely rare. Single spoons or forks are hard to find. To find larger items, such as coffee pot, tea pots, bowls or other forms of tableware is a very unusualy occurance, such pieces are typically seen only in museums.