I have a Hawkes sterling silver & crystal 2 tiered candelabra signed/ has 70 pwts. I'm looking for a value.

Question

I have a Hawkes sterling silver and crystal 2 tiered candelabra that is signed and states "Hawkes Sterling 70 p.w.t.s. and a lengthy number (serial?) Please help - does anyone know anything about this, such as value - I'm hoping to sell it, but have no idea what to expect. Thank you for any help.

This piece is 15" tall by 12" wide.

Dear Guess who: I appreciate the info and pic but this is not the one I have. Mine has the sterling at the base, it is signed, except for the large base, this piece appears to be all glass with crystal pieces hanging all around each individual stem (where the candle goes). It is also two tiered - I can't imagine having another set to match - this is so large it should be shown individually.

Answer 1

Hi Deborah! Hi Professor! And the Professor's figures are exactly right. It means the same in the U.S. ~ 70 pennyweight, 3.5 troy oz. ~ So.. based on that figure.. what I think this is (just for reference purposes: Lot 296: click on the picture: http://www.maxanet.com/cgi-bin/mnarclist.cgi?little/20060318/category/GLASS ).. is a predominantly crystal (or cut glass) candelabra with a hollowed sterling ferrule (or similar secondary embellishment.. short of seeing a photo.. correct me if I'm wrong, Deborah) which would account for the weight, or lack of, therein, of the sterling. Given that Deborah believes her piece to be crystal rather than glass.. I think it would bring or improve upon the sale result of the pair enclosed.. only because it's crystal and tall.. but traditionally, buyers have a penchant for buying candelabra in pairs which could reflect in some monetary loss proportionately than if there were two. And of course.. this is merely guesswork without seeing the piece for its inherent aesthetic appeal.

And further... it also depends upon the manner in which you go about selling it. If you sell to a dealer, it will be at a discount as he must leave room for his profit.. if you sell it at auction, you may realize more, but will pay a commission commensurate to their scale.. if you find a private buyer who loves it or someone who has the long lost mate... that's ideal. It's hard without seeing it... but I hope this helped you a bit... (and wasn't too confusing :) and I wish you good luck!

Edit*** Hi again... I was just using that photo as an example of silver being used as a secondary decorative element with the crystal. It sounds most imposing and more like a centerpiece... I don't see anything quite like it (yes.. I searched more... ha!). Perhaps you should take a photo and send it to Sotheby's, Christies or Bonham's for a more accurate assessment. or you could contact the Corning Museum and ask a curator as they have Hawkes special pieces in their collections :
http://www.cmog.org/index.asp?pageId=1193#5
By phone: [phone]
By e-mail: [e-mail].

Answer 2

70 p.w.t.s means 70 dwts (pennyweights) to me in England which doesn't seem enough as it equates to something like 3.5 Troy Ounces and I would expect it to be ten times that. If I assume it is about 12 inches high and about 700 dwts than a value up to $3000 would be appropriate - but if smaller than less.
It is, of course, an American piece.