www.925-1000.com

My pleasure.

This is the mark of Claude-Isaac Bourgoin working in Paris at 20, cour Neuve-du-Palais. His symbol was a heart pierced with 2 arrows and a star in the middle. Bourgoin registered this mark in September 1779. Still working in 1806, but no date of cessation of activity is given. See Arminjon, v. I, no...

That would be the Filets or Thread pattern. Fiddle Thread or Filets Violon would have a waisted (pinched) terminal end. Both patterns of oyster fork are shown and named in an 1898 Christofle company catalogue. Your pictures look blurry on my monitor, but if you check the link below you’ll be able to...

You're welcome Martin.

Good call Trev! Yes, this is the mark of Raymond Collet, a manufacturing jeweller and silversmith working in Paris at 29 rue Charlot. He registered his mark on 17 September 1911; no date is given for cessation of activity. Collet’s symbol was a footed glass. I have no idea what the pattern was named...

Good call on the French mark! A clarification on French silver standards: Minerva in an octagonal reserve indicates 950 standard silver, NOT 900.

Sorry, can’t help on the use of this object.

Hi Sebastian — No luck in finding the maker of your spoon. Here is why: I don’t recognize it straightaway, so must turn to a reference. The main source on the approximately 4,000 Parisian nineteenth century makers active from 1838-1875 (Arminjon) is arranged by FIRST letter of the maker’s name. Ther...

Admit that the spit polishing technique is a new one to me. The important thing is not to cause damage / abrasion. Please never use salt on silver, as it is corrosive. Suggest you search the Silver Care section on this forum for more suggestions. Hose is quite right in asking about the other marks o...

Hi Sebastian -
Please help us to help you. Are there other marks on the spoon? How do you know it is French? Where is the mark you show located on the spoon? Can you clean out the mark so that the first letter is clear?
Cheers,
JayT

Hello Phillip -
Nocq was reprinted in 1968, but that edition is also scarce and expensive. To my knowledge there is no DVD. I don’t know the copyright status of this reference. A reference library still sounds like your best bet for the moment.

My pleasure.

Regret that I couldn't help.

If you don't already own Nocq or know someone who does, your best bet is a reference library. This 5-volume work has long been out of print; it is available from time to time on the secondary market for the low four figures - ouch.

Sorry, these are not French marks. They are most likely pseudo marks from Hanau, Germany, and date to the nineteenth century. See the following link for more information:

http://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_hanau_marks_01.html

Sorry I don't recognize the maker. Turning to Nocq, he lists over 400 makers from Paris whose mark begins with a P. These makers are not arranged by date of activity or area of specialty, so going through the entire list would be quite a task! Without at least one other element of information (anoth...

Hello — Sorry - your frame is not eighteenth century French. The size, placement and number of marks is not French. The style is nineteenth century romantic. My best guess is Hanau, Germany, but I leave it to the Hanau experts to identify your marks. Looking through the excellent compilation of Hana...

My pleasure.

This is the Minerva head used for smalls (la petite garantie) since 1972 for items made of at least 800 standard silver. It is stamped twice to indicate that the object has two parts, in this case the cap and the body of the pen.

The wonders of the internet will assist you. Many museums have digitized their collections which are viewable on-line. Just one example: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a beaker by Poppe, visible on-line. Another resource is auction house catalogues. Both Christie's and Sotheby's have...

My pleasure Tatiana.

Thank you for the sharpened image of the owl. As best as I can tell this is the mark for either Nice or Monaco, [both places are close to Nîmes] but you would have to judge for yourself as the image still appears somewhat distorted on my monitor, and I don’t have enough experience with the owl mark...