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Tjollan, no one else mentioned it, but the form of your object is more in keeping with what was traditionally a sugar caddy (if it belonged to a Gentile family) or an Etrog box (Judaica silver) used for the holiday of Sukkot (if it belonged to a Jewish family). This form was very common in Poland, G...

Oel wrote, "The assay rules in Britain have been always very strict. Little patch boxes weighing no more as 5 grams were fully hallmarked; lion, city mark, date & duty mark and normally on both halves." Actually, "The hallmarking of 'very small nutmeg graters' was not required und...

I have seen another one of these recently that weighs 930 grams and is described as an "ART NOUVEAU SWEDISH STERLING SILVER CENTERPIECE & TOP." The maker mark is "CH," and it was made in 1855 (A5 is the date code), which obviously is too early for the accepted era of Art Nouv...

There is a listing on an online auction site (which I can't reference directly because the listing is current) for an egg-shaped nutmeg grater; it's smaller than this egg-shaped vinaigrette but astonishingly similar in construction and decoration, though it is unmarked, but the very knowledgeable se...

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/okchris67/vinaigretteeggpic1.jpg http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/okchris67/vinaigretteeggpic4.jpg http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/okchris67/vinaigrettepic5.jpg In the pic below, the "SM" or "WS" mark is visible inside the d...

Blakstone, Yes, that information certainly does help! I've been all over the world with this piece, in a figurative sense. I started off thinking the bird was an emu, and that the other marks were possibly Australian in imitation of British marks. I must give credit where credit is due: a friend on ...

This sauceboat on stand is 6 1/8" long x 4 1/8" wide and 4 ¼” tall and weighs 163 grams. With the help of some wise friends, I’m now thinking the bird mark in an oval is possibly the city mark of Ilmenau or Frankfurt/Oder or Strausberg in Brandenburg. I’m interested in the date, of course...

Hose_dk, I am indebted to you; thank you for sharing your impressive knowledge and expertise. I am delighted to have the maker name and an approximate date. I've learned much about Göteborg, also, which is a wonderful side benefit from collecting silver.

I have the following 11 and 7/8 inch fish server bearing the city mark of Göteborg, Sweden (Tardy's, page 379). It weighs 104 grams and also bears the Swedish cat paw or 3 crown mark and a maker mark of "IMS." I would like to know: 1. The name of the maker, and: 2. The approximate year it...

I just wondered if any of the great minds here have any information or thoughts about silver repair techniques that will be enabled by the emerging, life-changing science of nanotechnology? The possibility came to mind when I was recently confronted with shallow, snowflake-shaped pits in the mirrore...

Kerangoumar, what brand of cocoa butter butter soap are you using? I ask because there is a bewildering variety of formulations available, with some additionally containing shea butter, aloe, vitamin E, etc. I am having heartbreaking problems with silver disease; for anyone who is confused about wha...

Wow, Blakstone! I can't thank you enough. Your posts are always of great interest to me, and it's such an honor to have you looking at this piece.

Does anyone recognize the marks on this ancient fork:

Thanks so much for your reply, Bahner! I have agonized over the letters, and I am thinking they are actually "G.IL." - so 3 letters rather than 2. Does the 12 mark look like a good Löthige mark? I know that some German silverplaters used a 12, but after polishing these, I'm almost certain...

I recently acquired these 13-&-3/4-inches-tall candlesticks that belonged to a NY woman originally from Germany; these candlesticks had been in her family for several generations. I wondered if the shape of the surround for the Löthige mark would identify them to a particular place in Germany, ...

Excellent, Jakjo! Thanks for keeping my mystery candlesticks in mind. And, thank you, Joerg, for the possibilities. The answer is out there, and it's closer thanks to all the good minds here.
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Yes, Jakjo, the little cross for Switzerland does make sense - thank you, and thanks to all who replied. This thread has been very interesting and enlightening. These candlesticks aren't quite as old as I'd hoped, but they're still as lovely. Happy Holidays!
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I'm so lucky to have top experts helping me! I love this site. Question: do you have an idea where they WERE made, Postnikov? And were they made as imposters, or are these legitmate, but newish, marks from somewhere? And lastly, your guess as to age is in the last 20 years? I don't see how it was pr...

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/okchris67/estonian1.jpg I have a pair of candlesticks, each with a removable bobèche, that are 9.5 inches tall and quite heavy. They have 4 markings: http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/okchris67/newmarkestonian.jpg I believe this mark to be a version of...

So do you think the fork itself is old, but all the marks, even the Polish ones, are fake? So the counterfeiter rubbed out whatever original Polish marks were on there? What a shame! I would've loved it with just the original Polish marks. I like the crest/shield on the front. I appreciate your time...