20TH-Century CANADIAN SILVERSMITHS: Maker's Marks and Silver Marks

For information on and 18th and 19th century Canadian makers, including Canadian antique silver marks, please click the 18th & 19th century marks button to see our dedicated article.

18th & 19th century marks

The Rise of Modern Canadian Sterling Silver

The beginning of the 20th century marked a significant shift in Canadian silver production. The small, bespoke shops of the 19th century were largely supplanted by mechanized, larger-scale firms, enabling the production of substantially greater quantities of silverware. Tarriffs on the importation of finished goods incentivized domestic manufacturing, and fostered an industry-wide practice of importing parts and unfinished pieces, from the UK and USA, to be finished and sold in Canada.

While English styles remained the dominant aesthetic, the influence of pre-eminent American silversmiths, such as Gorham and Tiffany, steadily grew in strength as the century progressed. The sterling standard was in common use by the end of the 19th century, although it was not officially regulated by the Canadian government until the Gold and Silver Marking Act of 1908. What follows is a discussion of the major Canadian silversmiths of the 20th century, and their identifying marks.

HENRY BIRKS & SONS

Birks was, by a considerable margin, the largest and most influential silverware manufacturer in Canada througout the 20th century. Henry Birks & Company was established in Montreal in 1879 as a retail jeweller. The firm became Henry Birks & Sons in 1893 when Henry Birks' three sons joined the business. The decisive pivot came in 1897 with the acquisition of Hendery & Leslie, their largest supplier, marking Birks' entry into manufacturing. Over the subsequent five decades, Birks expanded strategically, purchasing established jewellers and consolidating their manufacturing rivals until they held a virtual monopoly on the production and sale of sterling silverware across Canada.

Birks Production and Design

Birks' earliest production included hollowware, and flatware in established English patterns like Old English and Fiddle. A major development occurred in 1907 with the acquisition of the Gorham Company of Canada, granting Birks exclusive rights to manufacture and sell several of Gorham's most popular patterns, including Chantilly, Saxon and Pompadour, in the Canadian market. Birks later acquired additional patterns from other manufacturers, and also created unique patterns, such as Tudor and Laurentian. The company manufactured its own flatware and a portion of its hollowware at its Montreal factory, which employed nearly 300 people in the early part of the century. This domestic production continued until the early 1990s, when the factory closed and manufacturing was moved offshore. It is important to note that some Birks-branded hollowware was sourced as finished or partially finished products from manufacturers in the UK and the US.

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Birks Sterling Marks: A Guide to Dating

The variation in Birks sterling marks is crucial for dating their pieces accurately:

Early Retailer’s Mark (1879–1897): Pieces were stamped with the retailer’s mark H.B. & Co. added to the pseudo marks of the manufacturer Hendery & Leslie. (below left)
First Mark as Manufacturer (1898-1903)Upon acquiring Hendery & Leslie, Birks introduced a mark that included the name Birks alongside the same pseudo marks previously used by Hendery & Leslie: a lion rampant, and a sovereign’s head. At this point they also added a date letter. (below right)

Simplified Marks (1903-c.1930): Birks sterling hollowware and flatware were marked either with Birks Sterling in a font with serifs (below left) or with Birks in a rectangular outline followed by Sterling (below middle). During this period pieces are also occasionally found with pseudo marks: lion, beaver and letter S.(below right)

The London Date Letter Era (1925- c.1980)In 1925 Birks received permission from the London Assay Office to use a date letter corresponding to the London assay office's sequence. From this point, most hollowware featured Birks Sterling (sans serif) and a set of pseudo hallmarks: the sheaf of wheat (a registered Birks Trademark), a lion passant, and the corresponding London date letter. (below left) Flatware was usually marked only with Birks Sterling and sometimes the date letter. (Birks George II pattern is typically marked with the full set of pseudo marksand date letter).

The National mark (Late 1930s): The sheaf-of-wheat mark was superseded by the first version of the Canadian National Mark (a Lion’s head surrounded by a C). Date marks continued to follow the London cycle until approximately 1980. (below right)

London Date Letter Guide for Birks Sterling Holloware and Flaware (1925- c.1974) Below is a photo Birks marks during the London Date letter era with their coresponding dates:

RODEN BOTHERS (Toronto, 1891-1953)

Founded by Thomas and Frank Roden and continued by their heirs Alfred and Dudley, this firm produced a wide array of silver hollowware and flatware in traditional English styles. They offered several different flatware patterns including Stratford, Queens, and Louis XV. Goldsmiths Stock Company of Canada was their exclusive selling agent from 1900 to 1922. Roden was acquired by Birks in 1953. Mark: Roden’s mark includes the word Sterling, followed by 925, an R and a lion passant.

CARL POUL PETERSEN (Montreal, 1930s-1979)

Petersen, whose family history suggests an apprenticeship at Georg Jensen in Denmark, emigrated to Canada in 1929. After intermittent work at Birks, he established a studio for commission work in the late thirties, formally opening his permanent studio and registering C.P. Petersen & Sons in 1946.

In stark contrast to the mass production of his competitors, Petersen’s work featured extensive hand craftsmanship. His designs drew inspiration from the naturalistic forms of Danish modern silver, notably the styles of Georg Jensen and Johan Rhode. Producing eleven flatware patterns, a wide range of hollowware, and specialized Judaica, Petersen’s work is arguably the most collectible of all 20th-century Canadian silver. While the company operated until 1979, the majority of its domestic silver was produced in the late 1940s and 1950s. Petersen is also famous for his commissions for the National Hockey League, including reproducing the Stanley Cup (1962) and creating the Hart, Conn Smythe, and William Masterton Memorial Trophies.

Marks: Petersen’s silver was marked with his trademark PP underlined three times, Sterling, and usually also with Petersen, the words Hand Made and the Canadian National Mark

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WILLIAM MAURICE CARMICHAEL (Victoria, BC, 1920-1954)

While not considered one of the “major” national firms, we are pleased to highlight William Maurice Carmichael as the only silversmith of note from British Columbia. Trained as an engineer, Carmichael started his Victoria business in 1920, and in 1924 was joined by George Bennett Sr., a British-trained local silversmith.

Though the majority of Carmichael’s output was high-quality silver plate, he manufactured a number of sterling silver articles for general stock and special commissions. His designs were typically inspired by English silver but also incorporated local elements, such as Dogwood flowers and First Nations motifs. Notable commissions include The Thunderbird & Whale Bowl presented to King George V by the Government of British Columbia.

Marks: Earliest mark was W.M.C in a rectangle; his later mark was an M surrounded by a C in a shield. Sterling pieces include the word Sterling and the Canadian National Mark (post-1934).

THE NATIONAL MARK

In 1934 the Government of Canada instituted a national mark for items made of precious metal that are wholly manufactured in Canada. Canadian silversmiths can only stamp this mark on their pieces in conjunction with a registered trademark. The mark was a lion’s head inside a letter C as shown below left. It was changed to a maple leaf inside a letter C in 1978, shown below right.