Can this moustache comb be dated from the marks?

[Keziahemm]

I believe this to be a moustache comb.  Not sure what metal the comb is (silver gilt?)  the case is bone (or is it ivory  )

I have looked in a book of silver marks but haven't found these, any ideas? 

[still_looking]

Possibly Sheffield plate

[Keziahemm]

Thank you still_looking

Have looked at Sheffield plate marks nothing resembling those on the comb 

Susan

[meles]

I found something very similar on this site.

http://www.silvercollection.it/ENGLISHSILVERMARKSXGDUE3.html

George Wikes London, 1745

Sems very old, but it does look very alike! 

meles

[still_looking]

The crown would make it Sheffield (if it was silver) but then the mark on the left doesn't look right and barring something early there should be a fourth mark

silver mark, assay office, date letter, makers mark

It may of course have been sold with the claim that it was silver

Have you checked to see if it is magnetic?

[Keziahemm]

Thanks for the link Meles 

It's not magnetic.  OH reckons the comb could be gold    I didn't think it was gold because the colour is paler than 9 ct gold, that's why I thought silver gilt.

It's is very old and I've had it for 50+ years.  In the mid 1950s we moved into a Georgian house, built c 1745, needed a lot of renovation work including lifting original floorboards where the comb was found.  As children my siblings and I had great fun treasure hunting!

The name on the comb is H. Hathaway.

Susan 

[still_looking]

Given that you have a name and an address have you tried checking for a record of a Hathaway owning the house?

[youngtug]

Looks like the Sheffield crown. At a push I would go for 1788 for the date mark, if it is the date mark, the other mark I dont know about.[ Not a hundred percent sure of this!] . Shouldn't think it was sheffield plate as plate was a sheet of copper sandwiched between two sheets of silver and the edges had to be sealed over to cover the copper, difficult to do with a comb. Electroplate solved that problem, if it was electroplate [epns] I would expect to see the plate worn through in the hinge area. So, probably silver gilt.       PS just had another look at the photo, what is the colour of the wear at the hinge, is it the same metal or different.

[PrueM]

Is there any chance of getting a bigger/colour/high-res scan of the marks?  The fact that the lion passant is missing is bothersome as that is (presumably) the indicator of solid silver.    I'm trying to work out what the first mark is - looks like a "T" but not quite enough to make me say it is for sure!  The second letter does look like the Sheffield 1788 "W" as youngtug says.

Prue