Finding out about our metalware

In My Humble Opinion
1

What’s the best way to find out about our tea set? We were given a pewter tea set (teapot, sugarbowl and creamer) when my husband’s grandmother passed away. My mother-in-law has no idea of the age of the set, nor the value, as it came from dad-in-law’s people.

It is stamped on the bottom thusly:
“Poole Silver Co” in a circle, then “guaranteed” and “Staunton, Mass.” (it actually says ‘Nton’ fully with some faint lines before it, but searches online tell me that Poole is from Staunton)
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Mother-in-law tells me it’s pewter. I do not disagree, but I don’t know what horribly tarnished pewter looks like (I still haven’t found a cleaner). I haven’t tried to clean it for fear of ruining it.

The design is very no-nonsense. It’s tall and thin, with a band of detail around the top of each piece, depicting a vaguely nautical scene: A lighthouse, three-masted ship, a couple dancing, a small stone house and covered bridge, and a person on a raft on a river. I have no hope anyone will know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, please. If you know anything at all about Poole Silver, or pewterware in general, please help!

2

I don’t know anything about Poole, but you can take it somewhere and have it cleaned and appraised. The appraisal should tell you something about the history of it.
Smyth Jewelers in Timonium does this, but you ought to call around and get various prices for an appraisal - Smyth is probably on the high end. There’s also Pride Pewter in Parkville, and I think Nusinov’s (also in Parkville) does it, too.

It sounds pretty. I like nautical stuff.

3

I’ll bring one of the pieces next time we get together - which will be never, at the rate we’re going!