Wm. A. Rogers Marks: How to Identify and Date Them

Marks typically read 'Rogers' flanked by two R's in circles, or '1881 Rogers' flanked by two R's in circles, sometimes with 'Wm. A. Rogers' script and a separate quality word (e.g. 'Triple Plate'); a lower grade used a 'W.R. Keystone' mark.

• 1894-1900: William A. Rogers begins producing silverplated flatware in New York under his own name, before the later merged trademarks existed.
• 1901-1909: Rogers' business merges with the Niagara Silver Co. to form Wm. A. Rogers, Ltd.; the plain 'Rogers' mark (flanked by R's) comes into use around this time.
• 1910-1928: The '1881 Rogers' mark (flanked by R's) comes into use; a separate, lower-grade 'W.R. Keystone' mark is used on half-plate flatware and medium-grade hollowware.
• 1929-c.2000: After Oneida acquires Wm. A. Rogers, Ltd. in 1929, production continues under the historic Wm. A. Rogers name for marketing purposes.

A plain 'Rogers' mark (flanked by two R's) points to roughly 1901-1909; a '1881 Rogers' mark (flanked by two R's) points to 1910 onward; any piece can still have been made after the 1929 Oneida acquisition since Oneida kept using the historic name.

• There were many unrelated companies using some form of the 'Rogers' name (Wm Rogers, Wm A. Rogers, Rogers & Bro., Rogers & Hamilton, Wm Rogers & Son, etc.), which repeatedly merged and split, so a 'Rogers' mark alone does not identify a single maker.

Wm. A. Rogers is a silverplate (not solid silver) brand; pieces have a base-metal core under the silver plating. After 1929 the brand was owned and produced by Oneida.

Turn the piece over and light the mark from a low angle with a lamp or phone torch, which throws the impressed or engraved lines into relief; a printed or painted mark wants soft, even light instead. Fill the frame with the mark, then take a second shot of the whole piece. Do not clean tarnish off silver before photographing; the mark reads better dark. The app matches the mark and shape to the notes above.