Expert: Martin G Roberts - 12/31/2007

Question
I just purchased a pewter tankard with the mark - J McGlashan & Co.  Underneath that is Glasgow  with QUART underneath that.  To the right hand side is a V then what looks like a crown and then an R.  Underneath those marks is 34. On the inside bottom is a Crown with an X underneath it.  Can you tell me anything about this piece?  Thank you,  Ellen

Answer
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Well, it kind of says what you need on the piece. Little is known of the McGlashan firm of Glasgow, but they probably factored (retailed) rather than manufactured, and they were active around 1880-1910. Their pieces are pretty common. VR34 is a UV number verification mark for Glasgow - see the Verification Marks page on my website for more info on this. The crown and X in the base is a mark that originated as a quality mark, but by this date was just a mark used by many pewterers but with no meaning.

Quart is of course the capacity, in the Imperial system.

It is probably a mug or measure.

Martin
www.antique-metalware.co.uk