Rare Side-marked Silver Dessert Fork, 1780

This attractive George III period silver dessert fork features an unusual placement for the hallmarks - on the edge of the shank!

The London hallmarks include the date letter "e" for 1780 and the most likely reason for it being located on the side was to avoid spoiling the beautiful bright-cut engraved design to the reverse of the fork - at this date, the standard place for locating the hallmarks would have been on the reverse of the shank towards the tines (i.e. bottom-struck).

This 3-pronged fork must have produced a conundrum for both maker and assay office alike. Fashionable society were looking for new designs to impress their guests and by 1780 bright-cut engraving on plain Old English pattern was being introduced and as forks were routinely placed pointing down towards the table it was the reverse side of this fork that was decorated - this being an early example was perhaps a guinea pig for the forks of following years as the majority of decorated forks from the 1780's and 90's were front engraved and no doubt placed pointing upwards on the table and by 1781 the hallmarks were top-marked.

Of further hallmarking interest, the maker's mark appears to have been over-struck with an 18th century French import mark, suggesting the fork was made for the French market! 

All-in-all a rare and interesting fork that was produced at a time of change in both fashion and hallmarking techniques. The fork is in excellent condition.