Desperate to Identify French Hallmarks

[andrew75004]

I have a pretty snuff box with French Hallmarks that look like of lot of different marks in Tardy and Beuch. Would anybody have good strong references for these? French marks aren't usually so neatly alligned on a piece so now I wonder if the box isn't from 18th C Strasbourg. The Makers mark looks like it could be. There is a crowned A, Crowned swirly P or T or R, and a crowned mark with a neat GA inside a heart shape. I'm stumped. Any ideas would be VERY APPRECIATED. Thanks

[Waylander]

Looks like pseudo marks to me - refer Silver Glossary

Waylander

[andrew75004]

Thnaks. However, what are pseudo marks? Fakes?
In The Beuch and Tardy the marks are really close to the A, the crown part is perhaps too worn, hoever the P is really like that described for Strasbourg or Dijon. Is Silver Glossary a good reference book? - if so, I'll go to the Pompidou Library and have a look. Thanks again. I have included a bigger pic here.

[Hose_dk]

What you say is the story of pseudomarks.
Pseudomarks are very similar to existing marks - but not identical. Never fully identical.
Pseudomarks nature is that their "look alike" are not corresponding in time and place.
It could be a Paris look alike mark from 1700 - and a swedish look alike mark from 1600. etc.
Silver marks are normally regulated but in the city of Hanau - a free city - no such regulations existed. Therefor some people started to manufacture pieces that where copies of old things - they gave the pieces copy of old marks. I do not thing that they did it to cheat. they just produced things (not in silver) things that should decorate. Today 100 - 150 years later. People believ that they found wery old things. And some antique dealers even sell as old.
I think that was the story of pseudomarks in a few lines.

[Hose_dk]

Is Silver Glossary a good reference book? - if so, I'll go to the Pompidou Library and have a look.

You just need to click here http://www.925-1000.com/silverglossary3.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[blakstone]

Essentially, yes, pseudo marks are fake marks. They were used to "enhance" the appearance of reproduction styles, primarily by the silver manufacturers in Hanau, Germany but also well-documented in the Netherlands. The mark on the right - GR, crowned - is the actual manufacturer's mark, attributed with reasonable certainty to Georg Roth of Hanau.

[andrew75004]

You are all INCREDIBLY kind and HELPFUL. Thank you.
I found the bloomin' thing by doing a web search with just Georg Roth Hanau.
The EXACT, VERY EXACT same hallmarks are on there and explained clearly that they are indeed meant to look like French ones,etc. etc. I hope I will be able to help somebody like you have me. What a fantastic forum this is. I am truly amazed and immensely grateful.
So I actually have an item that is even better than I thought. I shall post a pic tomorrow to show you how ironic this is. The snuff box commemorates the mariage of Louis XVI with Maria Antonia (Antoinette) and the coat of arms are backwards! A lovely piece of commercial silver history.
All the best Andrew

[kerangoumar]

There is irony here, as well.

Samson is a once-notorious company that copied Sevres, Meissen etc. For years, for decades, people were warned off Samson as the pieces were 'fake'. Now, as the range in the market has dwindled, people are starting collect anything at all. A lot of which is not worth discussing. Samson pieces, however, were made with care and there has been a rise in their collection, with a corresponding rise in prices. Because, though they are not Meissen, they now are actually antique - if you use the definition of 100-yrs or more. Personally I prefer to keep my antiques pre-1832.