# Silverplate/Pewter Help!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2000, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverplate-pewter-help/10969 "2000-04-23T21:30:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sweetheart10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@sweetheart10](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweetheart10)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverplate-pewter-help/10969/1 "2000-04-23T21:30:00Z")
Hi. I have a tea set that is old , engraved w/ design and tarnished( blackish). It has 4 pieces…teapot, covered sugar, open sugar and creamer. The bottom reads " made by F.B.R. Tauton Mass 866" and a small lion symbol stamped on it. Does anyone know what 866 is code for? What does F.B.R. stand for? And what would clean it up? Thanks for your reply and your help. Most Sincerely, Sweetheart10 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverplate-pewter-help/10969/2 "2000-04-23T22:09:00Z")
Just input Tauton, Mass in the search box of [ebay.com](http://ebay.com), here is a picture of it: [http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Executive/1768/p5761.JPG](http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Executive/1768/p5761.JPG) An old company. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverplate-pewter-help/10969/3 "2000-04-23T22:47:00Z")
Hey sweetheart! (Gee, I’ve always wanted to startt a post that way.) Here’s a page that might help you at the Society of American Siversmiths’ site: [http://www.silversmithing.com/forum.htm](http://www.silversmithing.com/forum.htm) In case you do some more searching, be advised that is is Tau **n** ton, Massachusetts. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverplate-pewter-help/10969/4 "2000-04-24T02:34:00Z")
Great site, beatle. I took a look at the hallmarks but didn’t see one for F.B.R. Reed and Barton, a fairly big name in silver, is located in Taunton and they do have a lion in their mark - perhaps F.B.R. is a related company. The 866 most likely indicates the purity of the silver. The standard today is 925 for American sterling silver. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverplate-pewter-help/10969/5 "2000-04-24T04:02:00Z")
The other thought I had about the 866 was that it may have originally been an 1866 whose 1 receded from visibility. It would fit with Taunton’s coming into existence in, IIRC, 1864(?). ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverplate-pewter-help/10969/6 "2000-04-24T06:54:00Z")
FYI, you either have an incomplete tea service or a coffee service with an extra sugar bowl. A tea service consists of five pieces: teakettle; teapot; sugar bowl; milk pitcher; and waste bowl. A coffee service has three pieces: coffee pot; sugar bowl; and cream jug. ---
**Author:** ![sweetheart10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@sweetheart10](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweetheart10)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverplate-pewter-help/10969/7 "2000-04-24T11:40:00Z")
Thanks for the great site Beatle. Do you know a site for silverplate hallmarks? The 866 definately did not have a 1 preceding cause i don’t think it would be the only number missing from all 4 pieces. But it was a good thought. Thanks for your kind replies. Best Regards, Sweetheart10 (glad I could satisfy a desire to start a email w/ “dear Sweetheart”. I got a laugh out of that too.) ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silverplate-pewter-help/10969/8 "2000-04-24T15:33:00Z")
F.B.R.=manf Tauton, Mass= manf location of factory 866= pattern number. Sorry I should have wrote it before 🙂