Expert: Martin G Roberts - 10/27/2006

Question
I just bought a pewter tankard and have searched the web to find out about it's markings.  Looking at your website, I can see it is nothing special, but I am curious to know what the 'Crown' and the 'VR' mean.  There are three stamps on the side rim; the first 'V' with something after, second a 'Crown' with 'VR' under it and the third a 'Crown' 'VR' and 215.   The tankard looks old with the right dents, etc., but I just have a feeling that it is a fake.  Is there anyway of telling?  Thank you.

Answer
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Take another look at my website, clicking on the 'verification marks' link on the menu, where all these marks are explained.

There are not really any fakes of this type of piece, because as you say it is a common type and of relatively low value. There are a few reproductions, but the 215 mark is probably authentic, so the whole thing is probably OK. If you are in the USA, and your piece has large VR crowned marks with no other devices or numbers in the stamp, those may be fake verification marks added by unscrupulous dealers in the first half of the 20th Century - they 'enhanced' quite a lot of stuff that they shipped to be sold in US dept stores.

By the way, assuming it's lidless, this is a mug - 'tankard' refers to a lidded drinking vessel.

Martin
www.antique-metalware.co.uk