Is this usual/common
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:30 am
Hello all, this is my first post and as there seems to be a wealth of experience here I wonder if someone can help with this enquiry.
My wife inherited what I believe to be a very old oval silver snuff box. She is not convinced it is silver, it is very black/grubby on the outside but brighter inside, she inherited it from an elderly lady she looked after until she died and it was used to keep curtain hooks in it! The lid of the box carries what appears to be an unusual family crest, far too complicated to describe but I will photograph it if I can if anyone thinks it worthwhile. Inside both the lid and the box there appears to be a hallmark but only two marks exist, what I believe is what is known as the lion head erased, cartoon like sde view of an heraldic looking lion head I think with it's tongue poking out and what I think is a makers mark with the letters TO inside a ring of solid circles. There are no ther marks giving a year letter or anything else. Would this suggest that the item is not silver? I will try and photograph the marks if anyone thinks it is worth further investigation but from my limited research on the net the Lion/Leopards head seems to be an early'ish mark, if I'm interpreting the mark correctly, it is a little worn after sitting under the metal curtain hooks!
Many thanks.
Nick
My wife inherited what I believe to be a very old oval silver snuff box. She is not convinced it is silver, it is very black/grubby on the outside but brighter inside, she inherited it from an elderly lady she looked after until she died and it was used to keep curtain hooks in it! The lid of the box carries what appears to be an unusual family crest, far too complicated to describe but I will photograph it if I can if anyone thinks it worthwhile. Inside both the lid and the box there appears to be a hallmark but only two marks exist, what I believe is what is known as the lion head erased, cartoon like sde view of an heraldic looking lion head I think with it's tongue poking out and what I think is a makers mark with the letters TO inside a ring of solid circles. There are no ther marks giving a year letter or anything else. Would this suggest that the item is not silver? I will try and photograph the marks if anyone thinks it is worth further investigation but from my limited research on the net the Lion/Leopards head seems to be an early'ish mark, if I'm interpreting the mark correctly, it is a little worn after sitting under the metal curtain hooks!
Many thanks.
Nick