Ek1 65 ?

[Robert P.]

This would make sense Trevor,

The earliest frames were perhaps silver alloy. This is an unmarked '65' with heavy patina, a telltale sign of a silver alloy. I believe the number system on this unmarked '65' is the same as the EKI in this thread. What do you see? The shadows are very different, but I believe they're the same.

[baldy1939]

What a beauty you've got there Robert , great patina . I think the dates of both our crosses are identical .

[all1knew]

This would make sense Trevor,

The earliest frames were perhaps silver alloy. This is an unmarked '65' with heavy patina, a telltale sign of a silver alloy. I believe the number system on this unmarked '65' is the same as the EKI in this thread. What do you see? The shadows are very different, but I believe they're the same.

What a sexy cross.

William Kramer

[Douglas 5]

Mark and Robert :
Mark's Cross does deffinatly have the K&Q 1st core in it , and as much as I can tell high grade silver plating on a Ni-alloy frame . In contrast it looks like Robert's cross 3 posts back appears to be on a coin silver frame . I may have asked him at one time if the black oxid/lacquer coating on his frame is soft or not ?

Douglas

[Robert P.]

Mark and Robert :
Mark's Cross does deffinatly have the K&Q 1st core in it , and as much as I can tell high grade silver plating on a Ni-alloy frame . In contrast it looks like Robert's cross 3 posts back appears to be on a coin silver frame . I may have asked him at one time if the black oxid/lacquer coating on his frame is soft or not ?

Douglas

It's soft, thick, and comes off freely when pressure is applied with my fingernail = high-grade silver plating over Ni-alloy frame.

I understand that the coin silver frames are dark rainbow-toned, hard and smooth.

Correct me if I'm backwards on this, Douglas.

Edit:

To ask you another question, Douglas... Were the coin silver frames burnished with a leather wheel, or polished? On my ealier unmarked K&Q EKI's I see four to five burnishing lines along every flange. I don't see this on the high-grade silver over Ni-alloy flanges, just a smooth darkened surface.

[Douglas 5]

Any Ni surface is polished befor plating , as the plating is so thin that all imperfections will show through . The burnishing lines would show even more with the silver plating polished . The high grade silver plating was lacquer treated to prevent the surface from going black .
Coin silver frames were polished and coated with lacquer as well . The lacquer had two functions : to hold the frosting paste on the beading and protect the out side frame from tarnishing .

Douglas

[Robert P.]

Thanks Douglas,

It's clear to me now which frames were high-grade silver plated, at least the few that I have that have really turned black. The blackening is soft and easily removed with my fingernail. I dare not scrape them too much, or I'll lose their beautifully even coat. Thanks for you help with this.