Antique Edwardian Sterling Silver Hatpins Still on Original Card Old Store Stock


Brand Poppy's Vintage Clothing

This is a pair of sterling silver hat pins that I acquired from an old general store.  The pins are still on their original card, so were never used - the card is printed at the top with “Hall Marked Silver”.  The hallmarks on the pins include the lion, denoting sterling silver quality, the anchor, which stands for the Birmingham assay office, the date letter of “m”, which stands for the year 1911 and the maker’s mark of “P&T”, which stands for Pearce & Thompson, a known maker of hat pins during that time period.  Hat pin lengths reached their maximum right around 1911 due to the hair styles and elaborate hats that were popular at the time.  These hatpins have a 10” stem.  The tops are made in a circular form with a ball shape at the top - two thistles emanate up through the middle.  One of the pins has both thistles on the same side while the other pin has one thistle on one side and the other on the opposite side.  The card originally had three pins, but the middle one is missing.  The card is in rough shape due to exposure but the pins are in very good unused condition - a bit of surface wear to the steel stems, but the sterling silver tops appear to be in original condition except for tarnish, which should polish up fine if desired. 

Sizing:  As mentioned, the pin stem measures 10” long while the hat pin measures 11” in length including the top.   

It is very unusual to find original hallmarked hatpins like this, unused and still on the original card