BACKGROUND:
Rodd was an Australian company specialising in the craft of the silversmith. The company built up a long, distinguished reputation with particular emphasis on the production of finely crafted Silverware, Silver plate and hybrid Silver plate/Stainless Steel wares in later years. Not just cutlery either, in their early days, Rodd was very well known for some of the brooch designs they produced.
Over the years the company structure changed with the new company structure being named Mytton Rodd (Australia).
While we do not usually offer items on other people's behalf, a family member has asked us to see if 'someone' may like some good solid Australiana from Rodd (actually Mytton Rodd), this item was actually a wedding gift from long ago that was never used (they say) and it certainly looks like it!
MYTTON RODD (Australia) - Cake Server
Brand name: RODD
Item # WRIK 717
Pattern: Warwick
EPNS A1 (2Ag)
We are offering the COMPLETE original box (as pictured) with the original Warranty card/booklet, original silk like "bed" for the cake server, which is extensively adorned with RODD printed onto the material.
Circa mid 1970's - based on the quality and style of the packaging (Rodd is printed into the inner box material and metallic Silver print on the clear plastic box top section and outer box top section. RODD is the name dominant on the packaging, with only one mention of Mytton Rodd and also within the Warranty booklet, referring to Mytton Rodd, an entity that began in the early 1960's. Additionally, the Warranty Booklet refers to a government act of 1974, Mytton Rodd produced great EPNS tableware but they were not fortune tellers! There is no way this item preceded 1974.
Perhaps the most important fact relevant to the dating of this particular cake server, the family member's wedding was June, 1976!
Mytton Rodd used innovative marketing techniques, things to note (extracted from the Warranty Booklet) are:
Yes, like a number of quality Australian Silver electro-platers, this is "double plated" i.e a thicker coating of Silver achieved by electroplating the cake server twice. However, Mytton Rodd took the innovative step of giving this extra processing a special name, 2Ag, which simply means 2x Silver plating
Another innovative marketing technique was their reference to this item being of "Heirloom" quality i.e to be passed down through the family because of the high quality and durability.
So confident was the company in their high end products, they guaranteed this cake server for the LIFETIME of the owner, remarkable!
A nice touch in the Warranty booklet is a listing of their patterns and all pieces available within the various patterns and their item code numbers.
Take a look at some of the photographs of this booklet ... interesting reading! (if Warranty booklets keep you awake at night)
Identification markings or stamps:
RODD EPNS A1 (rear of the handle, clearly visible) PLUS AG2 which is barely visible and NOT stamped, it looks almost as though it is been laser etched and is extremely difficult to see. We believe this may have been an intentional innovation, to make it more difficult for others to copy the very popular (and quite highly priced) Rodd product.
The Red circle indicates the location of the text 2AG but the camera just couldn't show it properly
COSMETIC CONDITION:
As with most of our chinaware's, let's give this Mytton Rodd tableware a personalised rating for condition and appearance
DTNS RATING: 9.9/10 (Darling! That's Nice Silverware!)
CLEAN
NO scratches
NO bending!
NO Oxidisation ... Yes I did give the light Brownish tarnishing a "buff up", as is normal for any Silver based items, but there are no oxidisation "Black spots" or any other signs of plating degradation.
Yes, there is that dreaded Yellowing of the old clear plastic top cover to the inner box and slight end damage to this plastic.
Some small damage to the external graphics on the box due to handling when the owners moved but looking around online, I can see a boxes in far worse condition than this one!
Now that I have "finished" describing this cake server and taking a few snapshots, the cake server has been placed within a completely sealed clear plastic to reduce the advance of any future tarnishing and also placed the complete box into another sealed, clear plastic packaging so that the new owner will receive this cake server in the condition I have described "like NEW"
