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Hello Jazz,

No, sorry the mark remains a mystery. To be honest, I consigned it to the 'too difficult' pile and simply enjoy using the candlesticks. I hope you are more tenacious than me and can get to the bottom of it...if you do, please come back and put me out of my misery!

Best wishes,

Owen

Thanks Miles - this is a case of many heads are better than one (well, better than mine!). I have also posted it on a militaria forum I belong to and someone there (agreeing it was likely to be circa 18th century German) thought it might have been used by a hunter to keep his cartridges in/dry. Ther...

The "puzzle" of the discrepancy between the assay date and the licensing date turns out to have been trivially simple: there was no assay stamp for 1841. The assay stamp for 1840 was also used for 1841 and 1842, and a new one was issued in 1843. We can assume, then, that your item was pro...

Hello All, I would be grateful for any thoughts/opinions on what this item might have been used for? Also, what period it might belong to and what it's country of origin might be? It tests as around 800 silver, but is sadly not hallmarked. The monograms appear to be in gold, but I have not tested th...

Hello Frank, I saw one of these being sold some years ago and it was described as a 'candle doubter' i.e. used for blowing out candles (presumably candles in tricky to reach places). The 'E.B' makers mark appears to be E. Baker & Son. If you follow the link and scroll down to EB you will see you...

Thank you for such a definitive answer on the maker, I am very grateful to you. It makes me wonder why an assayer would agree to mark an item for a maker who was not licenced? I am not sure how long the process took (from application) to be awarded your "Gewerbeverleihung", but perhaps the...

Dear All, I have a silver chamber stick from the Austrian Empire period and would be very grateful if anyone can help to identify the maker. It bears 2 'hallmarks'...the first mark identifies it as dating to Vienna 1840 with a silver standard of 13 loth (812/1000). The second mark is a set of initia...

Your "sword" is made in Bergen in Norway in 1858 (?) by master Andreas Christian Møgelvang born 1818 and died 1891. He marked 1844-1873. It is of course in silver. It looks like 13,3 lot i.e. ~830/1000. The assayer's mark is too unclear to me. Somebody else could fill in the rest... I di...

Dear All, I have searched the forum and found some answers, but would still very much like your help identifying hallmarks on a mid 19th century (I think) silver Norwegian paper knife in the form of a sword. The hallmarks are to the blade and the whole sword measures 11.5cm. Based on what I have lea...

Understood, many thanks. Owen

Thank you, I am grateful for the advice. I have put my extra strong specs on and I agree that 休 is closest. Can I ask what the respective characters say (I assume it's a name?). Thanks again, Owen

Trev, that is really helpful (and fast!) ... many thanks indeed. Thanks for the compliment on the set too. I haven't seen any others like this, although (particularly given what you say the numbers refer to) there are bound to be many more. I guess that there will be a complete set of the Allied Fla...

Dear All, I have recently bought a set of 4 Birmingham silver 'Allied Flags' menu holders. They are clearly marked for William Comyns, 1914. But, they each bear an extra serial number (A 6939) and I am hoping that someone can tell me what this number refers to? I have searched this forum (and wider)...

David, thank you that is very encouraging - I am looking at them in an entirely new light (excuse the pun). Whilst this may be a bit OT now, if I manage to learn anything more about them, I will post it here (for closure). Thanks again for your time and your insight. Regards, Owen

......with the benefit of having the candlesticks in hand, the first of your character sets (伏) looks to be on the mark. ....... I guess all that was inclining me to believe that they were silver (apart from the seller who told me they were...and I hear you all yawn at this!) is the scratched set...

David, thank you very much indeed. This is helpful and interesting insight - with the benefit of having the candlesticks in hand, the first of your character sets (伏) looks to be on the mark. With regard to them being silver or not, I haven't had them tested so you may very well be right ( not the...

Dear All, I wonder if anyone can help me with identifying the hallmark (?) and origin of these silver (?) candlesticks. I have had them some years now and originally bought them as Chinese Silver. But, as my silver collecting interest (and hopefully my knowledge!) has grown, I now think that they ar...

Thanks very much for your help, I am grateful.

Hi - it is silver Austro-Hungarian Empire (from Vienna: A = Vienna) dated 1846. That is all I can tell you - can't tell from photo what it is. Hope this helps.

Can anyone help me identify this hallmark - it appears on a boxed knife & 3 prong fork set (handles are green ivory?). Believe to be Georgian era.