From 1929
1881 ROGERS; ONEIDA LTD
R emblems flank ROGERS, while the explicit Oneida company name separates this successor stamp from earlier versions.
stamped · silverplate · United States or Canada
Silver
Wm A Rogers marks
Wm A Rogers marks include stamped “Wm A ROGERS; GERMAN SILVER; R” on nickel silver / German silver in United States or Canada.
- Active years
- From c. 1894
- Products
- silver-plated flatware, silver-plated hollowware, serving utensils, table accessories, nickel-silver utensils
- Marks
- 6
Independent business circa 1894–1929; acquired by Oneida in 1929, which continued using the name.
What to look for
- Read the middle initial A and all accompanying symbols. The cross, W R and keystone are one identifying group; unrelated Rogers firms used other combinations.
- Read 1881 as part of the brand name. The 1881 Rogers trademark began around 1910, and a version that explicitly adds ONEIDA LTD belongs after the 1929 acquisition.
- Keep material wording separate from the maker. EPNS denotes electroplated nickel silver, while GERMAN SILVER describes a base-metal alloy rather than sterling silver. Model and stock numbers do not date a piece.
Marks & lettering
6 marks
Undated
CAN. WM. A. ROGERS LTD.; HEIRLOOM PLATE; SILVER SOLDERED; E.P.N.S.
Canadian full-name stamp adds Heirloom Plate and electroplated-nickel-silver wording.
stamped · electroplated nickel silver · Canada
Undated
QUADRUPLE; W R; NEW YORK
Cross precedes W R and a keystone follows; curved QUADRUPLE and NEW YORK surround the group.
stamped · silverplate · United States or Canada
Undated
Wm A ROGERS; GERMAN SILVER; R
GERMAN SILVER is boxed beside the name, followed by the horseshoe R.
stamped · nickel silver / German silver · United States or Canada
Undated
WM A. ROGERS; QUADRUPLE PLATE; TRADE MARK; NEW YORK
R in a horseshoe occupies a circular maker stamp.
stamped · silverplate · United States or Canada
Undated
Wm. A. ROGERS
Full name occupies a long rectangular border, separate from numbers above and below.
stamped · silverplate · United States or Canada
About Wm. A. Rogers
William A. Rogers began producing silver-plated flatware in New York in 1894. His business was separate from the older Connecticut Rogers manufacturers. In the early twentieth century it combined with the Niagara Silver Company to form Wm. A. Rogers Ltd., with operations associated with Niagara Falls and Toronto as well as New York. The company sold both flatware and hollowware, including serving pieces and table accessories.
Several different marks were used across its products. Some spell out Wm. A. Rogers, while others reduce the name to W R accompanied by a cross and keystone-shaped device. A horseshoe containing R also appears in the company’s trademarks. The 1881 Rogers name was a later trademark, introduced around 1910, rather than a reliable manufacturing date. Canadian-marked wares and named lines such as Heirloom Plate expanded the range of backstamps.
The company acquired Simeon L. & George H. Rogers in 1918. Oneida purchased Wm. A. Rogers in 1929 and continued selling under the acquired names. Consequently, the appearance of Rogers on a piece does not by itself establish an independent nineteenth-century maker or an early production date.
Also known as: Wm. A. Rogers Limited · 1881 Rogers · W.R. keystone · Canadian Wm. A. Rogers Ltd. · William A. Rogers / Wm. A. Rogers Ltd.
Look-alikes & how to tell them apart
Wm. Rogers Mfg. Co. / Wm. Rogers & Son →
These older Hartford names belong to a different Rogers lineage and later International Silver ownership. Wm. A. Rogers carries the middle A or its own W R and keystone devices, and later Oneida wording.
1847 Rogers Bros.
1847 Rogers Bros. is a Meriden Britannia and International Silver trademark. It differs from the 1881 Rogers name associated with Wm. A. Rogers and Oneida. Neither numeral should be used as the date of an individual utensil.