Introduction to Truncheons and Tipstaves (Page 4)

County and Town Arms

Some local county or town arms when found can be helpful in dating pieces as these were only granted at specific times or subject to change over the years. The art of heraldry is however very specialised and requires access to reference books. Many arms are however linked to a motto (normally in Latin) and sometimes researching the motto can lead to the identity of the arms.

Silver Hallmarks

If the item you are researching is made of silver then there is a good chance it might have a hallmark. Regulation of silver objects in this country has been subjected to rigorous checking for many centuries. From a full hallmark not only will you be able to tell who by and where a piece was made you can also find an exact date based on a date letter stamp.

Maker's Names

Whilst many early truncheons are individual and unique by the mid nineteenth century companies did exist who mass produced standard style truncheons and tipstaves. The most common of these was Hiatt of Birmingham who distributed their goods through a wholesaler, Parker's of Holborn, London.

What I refer to as 'Parker' style truncheons are very distinctive and are often stamped into the end of the handle with makers name. The following table gives detail of the company's history and how it can help date a piece.

Name	Dates	Details on Truncheons
William Parker	1796 - 1841	Parker, Holborn
Parker, Field & Sons	1842	Parker, 233 Holborn or Field, 233 Holborn
	1877	59 Leman St
	Circa 1879	122 Leman St
	1883 - 1886	22 Tavistock St

Regional Styles

Style can sometimes help date a piece. However this type of knowledge can only be gained by continually finding new pieces to look at and extending your knowledge of the subject. I would therefore recommend anyone serious about truncheons to take every opportunity to visit museums and read as much about the subject as possible. My web pages on types and styles will give a small flavour of what a collector can expect to find.

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