Hi All:
I used to think I knew a (very) little about silver but I’m stumped.
I have a Gorham creamer & sugar with “strange” marks
From what I gather, the left facing lion passant & block G were was used around
1855-1860. The “date” mark that comes closest is 1896.
Any suggestions? Thanks
I’m now convinced that the date mark (shell) is 1896 & the references I’ve found regarding the left & right facing lion passant are wrong; here’re proof that Gorham continued to use these marks well into the late 1890’s.
So much for the experts 
Now, if I could find a pattern name…
Agree the shell is the 1896 mark…the symbol marks were used until the early 1930s then changed to decade marks. Gorham used date marks generally only on higher end steling holloware. Try matching up the pattern mumber on replacements.com…a long shot but I’ve done it before.
Regards,
Uncle Vic
Thank you.
Sadly, replacements is usually my 1st stop but no help in this case 
I had originally hoped it might be Maryland, patented in 1896, but I was unable to find a single example of the pattern in a hollowware piece. Don’t even know if Gorham made Maryland hollowware.
The confusion on the marks is not the lion, anchor, G - The “experts” seem to agree that by 1868 when Gorham went to the sterling standard & started dating their hollowware, the lion passant always faced right. All the references I could find indicate that the left facing lion is pre Civil War or perhaps until 1868.
What’s a poor ole country boy to do when he can’t match the pattern & see’s a left facing lion, a sterling stamp & a date marks that seems to be 1896?
PS
I also searched for a 3965 Gorham pattern, again no luck.
Perhaps it was such a poor selling pattern that Gorham destroyed all evidence they had ever made it 
Give Stan a call at Lauren Stanley, he is an expert on old Gorham stuff.
Regards,
Uncle Vic