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There's a teapot that goes with this creamer, has the same mark except it says "D" on the right, instead of "C", after Dresden. Thanks!

Hello, that is Louis Haensch from Dresden, listed in 1820, the shop still mentioned in 1903. This is not plate. The mark on the left hand side is the city mark of Dresden (two crossed swords plus 'D' and '13' - one needs a lot of imagination to see this here), the zig-zag-line means that silver was removed to check the silver quality. Lletters 'C' and 'D' are date letters. It is a little unclear when C and D - looking the way they look on Your pieces - were used. Could be 1825/26. Could You post a pic of the 'D' on the second piece ? That might help. Best wishes, Bahner

It is wonderful that the expertise and knowledge of specialists like you is so readily available to us through this website. Thank you!

I assume that the creamer and this teapot are a set, that's how I got them. Do you happen to know what the handles are made of? I thought it was maybe ivory or horn. The picture of the stamp isn't very good, but the stamp itself with the crown and swords was a little fuzzy in the silver itself.

Hello, the 'D' is not the date letter for 1826, so the dating is not what I originally thought. Unfortunately there are no complete lists of Dresden date letters (at least I am not aware of it) so it is difficult to solve this problem. One possibility: the pieces are older, there are date letters for the early 18th century that look like that. But was Hänsch in business that early ? And the pieces look much more like 1850/60. There seem to be no Dresden date letters in use after ca. 1840. Maybe the letters are not date letters at all but letters depicting the various pieces of the once complete set ? Got no clue. Sorry. Best wishes, Bahner

I think Bahner is on the right track. For some time now I have been trying to expand the known range of Dresden date letters. As Bahner notes, they were not used very much after 1840, but I have found at least a few after that date.

The Dresden letters were annual, changing every year, so it is easy enough to extrapolate and extend the known date letters to determine what they should be after 1840. And I have found at least three dated items which confirm my findings: y (Gothic lowercase) for 1846, A (Latin uppercase) for 1848, and the identical C on your item (Latin uppercase) for 1850. I have also found on an undated item what I believe is x (Gothic lowercase) for 1845, and I feel confident that your D (Latin uppercase) is for 1851.

So I think the date letters on your items are for 1850 & 1851, re-inforcing what Bahner so astutely surmised based on their design.

Does anyone else have any 19th century Dresden pieces with unidentified date letters? I would very much appreciate seeing photos of the marks (and pieces they are on) to see if I can extend my catalogue of Dresden date letters after 1840.

thank you bahner and blakstone. one more silly question: what percentage silver are they? Did they not stamp the percentages back then (like the 800, 835, etc)?

As Bahner wrote:

(two crossed swords plus 'D' and '13' - one needs a lot of imagination to see this here)

Your Dresden town mark incorporates either a number 12 or 13 in the shield. See the top of this page for an explanation. ->
German Hallmarks pre- 1884

Regards, Tom

i think it is no horn but ivory and it dates defintely from 1840/50
in dresden it was made and hänsch , i think , was the person who sold it ..
kind regards tom