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By necessity this is only a brief and general guide to
dating British brass candlesticks. It was a legal requirement that silver and
other precious metals were hallmarked, but not so for brass. Look, feel,
experience and intuition are the necessary attributes when dating brass
candlesticks.
If you use the following guidelines you should be able to
date candlesticks fairly accurately, but a word of caution, the Victorians were
well known for copying styles from earlier periods.
Shape and Style
Candlestick styles can usually be dated
accurately from the shape of the base, stem, sconce and so on, which followed
silver patterns of the period. So a first step to dating a brass candlestick is
to look at the patterns of silver candlesticks. The British silver hallmarking
system required a date letter to be stamped into the piece when it was tested
at the assay office. By around 1785 the plain tapering column had become a firm
favourite.
Seamed Stem British candlesticks from the 1700's have a
seamed stem, since they were cast in two parts and soldered together. This is a
good although not sure sign of a date about 1700's
Finished Underneath
Nearly all the 1700's and early 1800's candlesticks are well
finished underneath, with any excess metal cleaned out. Less care was taken in
finishing later candlesticks, which are left roughly cast.
Candlestick – circa 1750
Underside Machined – Candlestick circa 1780
Brass Push Up Candlestick circa 1830
Candlestick circa 1900
Note
the underside of the casting is left rough cast
Base Shapes
Round shaped bases are generally older than
other shapes due to cleaning the underside of the bases by machine.
Push Ups and Side Ejectors
If the candlesticks have or side ejectors or
push-ups sometimes referred to as push rods, they were probably made during the
1700/1800's.
Texture and Colour
Candlesticks made after circa 1820 have a lack
of individuality of form and the underside of the bases are often left
untrimmed. Push rods are found less frequently and most noticeable of the
entire alloy is a decidedly yellow, hard brittle zinc brass with little or any
lead to soften the colour or texture. Old brass has a mellow golden lustre. 
Side Ejector Candlesticks - c. 1750 Note The Mellow Golden Lustre
Note The Brittle Coloured Brass c.1900's
Rounded Corners
Polishing can also reflect age. Over the years
polishing will have rounded sharp corners etc. to give a pleasing mellow lines.
 Rounded Corners Due To Polishing c.1800's
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