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Some pictures of the box after cleaning:


Thanks to Dad for his great analysis. Admin edit off topic

So here is spoon two again, after a little cleaning and polishing:


Now it appears more clearly that the maker's mark is "HA" - could this be Nikolay Alexeyev?

I also enjoyed the lively discussion that ensued following my use of the “p” word. After reading the exchanges, I do have an opinion on the question (which does not make me an expert: all experts have opinions but not all who have opinions are experts).

It seems to me that “tarnish” is the layer ...

Just to be clear, the marks circled in red on the photo below have a corresponding indentation on the inside of the box, but there is no indentation for the marks circled in green.

Great news, thanks Zolotnik. I was afraid to clean it because I know with some antiques they should keep their "patina." But I will go ahead and give these a gentle polishing.

Oel, Zolotnik,

Yes, it makes much more sense when you invert it! Why didn't I think of that? Another fascinating history lesson, thank you.

...and here is the other. Note that "Mockba" is engraved in the bowl

Many thanks to the resident experts. Here is one of two spoons, the last of the ostensibly Russian silver items found in my late father's collection:

https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.jpg
https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.jpg

I hope the pictures are clear enough. It was very tough to get a ...

So now I have looked carefully at the lid as suggested, and I can find no hallmark anywhere, which I understand from this and other threads to be conclusive. The picture below of the lid inside shows what I had thought were some scratches, but when I looked more closely now I think it might have ...

Thanks, oel. They are pansies, actually (I don't need an expert for that one). There's no question that the Faberge mark is spurious and was added later, but the other marks were apparently applied at a different time, presumably earlier. This was in a collection of my late father, he would have ...

How about this one? Of course the Faberge mark is fake. The maker’s mark I believe is in Cyrillic, so it should be ДЕ and not the Roman AE. Somewhere I once found reference to a Russian enameler and silversmith named Dmitry Egorov (or Yegorov). Do you think this might be his work?
https://www.925 ...

Zolotnik,
Thanks for your expert advice! It is a fascinating story anyway. I will post pictures of another piece if you don't mind, to get your opinion.

I hope someone might be able to identify the maker's mark on this nice silver cloisonne napkin ring. If you can see the picture, the Moscow 84 kokoshnik mark is partially overstruck on the maker's mark, but you can still make it out as ЖИ , or I suppose it might be ИЖ instead, since both characters ...