Vintage Barbour Silver Co. #2442 Quadruple Silverplate Tea Pot, Creamer & Sugar

Description

Barbour Silver Co. #2442 Quadruple Silverplate Tea Pot, Creamer, Sugar Bowl Set
This charming tea set with its engraved “C” on each piece, would be a beautiful addition to even the most elegant dining experience, whether it be a formal dinner, casual buffet, or upscale tailgate party.
It certainly harkens back to the Downton Abbey Victorian style of pure class when silver was handed down to generation after generation.
According an article written by Julian Traas, the Barbour Silver Co. was organized in 1892.
In 1931, the Barbour Silver Co. trademark went inactive.
While the age of this particular set is unknown, it is known that pieces marked (as this one is) as being “QUADRUPLE PLATE” are likely to be at least 110 years old as no company used the “quadruple” mark/term on their products after 1912.
As further proof of this set’s rarity, it should be noted that the popular “replacements” website lists this “grape” motif of #2442 but has no items currently available.
All three pieces are clearly marked on the bottom as being “quadruple plate” which has been described as:
“Quadruple silver plate hollowware was some of the highest quality made during the later part of the 19
th
century.  Within the silversmith and silver manufacturing industry, items marked “Standard” silver plate indicated that 2 troy ounces of pure silver were used to silver electroplate 144 teaspoons, but “Quadruple” silverplate used 8 troy ounces of silver to plate the same 144 spoons.
As a vintage set and just like a
grande dame
it shows its signs of age, but those are signs of character.
This set’s silver tone does have scuffs/discolorations, like an aged beauty who still retains her grace and lovely lines, but now benefits from the wisdom gained from age as well.
In that context, I have noted that many of my silver-selling colleagues offer items “in need of polishing.”
This leaves the buyer in a vulnerable position as many major flaws cannot be identified until the polishing processing is complete, particularly since these are older pieces and are certain to show some evidence of wear.
I make it a point to personally polish every piece I place on sale.
In that process, I discovered that all three pieces have blemishes with the creamer having the greatest number.
Check photo #4 which shows the tea pot’s major blemish, photo #8 which highlights the sugar bowl’s most obvious flaws on the lid with a “birthmark” discoloration and some pitting, and photos #10, #11, and #12 which highlight the creamer’s flaws.
These are all signs of age, just like a devoted old family servant who has witnessed the ups-and-downs of a multi-generation family, but in this case the set is at least 110 years old, which is a ripe age for any “servant.”
In other words, do not expect a pristine set…if it was, I’d be selling it to a museum at a considerably higher price than what I have listed here.
Price includes free shipping!!
Payment is required to be made within five days of the sale’s end or item will be either relisted or given second-chance status and E-Bay will alerted to the bidder’s failure to pay.
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No International Sales