www.925-1000.com

This is a 4 1/4" diameter hand made silver bowl. It is marked on the bottom with a double struck OM (or WO) then BTON then a bird (dove?). Above all of this is a long line of hand etched lines I call "zippers". I thought that maybe this might be Chinese export silver? But then someone told me that some Scandinavian counties use the "zipper" line designs? But I have looked everywhere and can't find these marks. Can anyone help me identify the origin, maker and approximately when this was made? Thank you for your help!

Hello.

The zig zag marks are simply the result of someone testing the fineness of the silver.

The other marks are meant to represent Mexican Chief Assayer Cayetano Buitron marks (1823-1843).
I think they are fake marks used in the 20th century.



Pat.

Thank you Pat!
My, my! I have looked at every page that the Silver Forum has to offer. I have looked at all of the silver marks and I have books like "Old Silver" and many others. I had to go back this evening and look at the www.925-1000's marks and found the "BTON" mark which I must have missed before. Is it new or did I just miss it? Who knows but thank you for identifying the bowl and adding the marks from a book that you have which probably prove that this bowl looks like it is an older piece when it is not.
I am learning about silver and I hope some day I can respond to someone's plea to ID their silver just like you did for me.
Thank you and Kind Regards,
Kate

To 2209patrick, Could you please give the title and author of the book you took the photo of (half page) to illustrate the "genuine and forged marks of the period of chief assayer Cayetano Buitron". I'd like to,either buy the book or search for it in interlibary loan. Please help, & thank you.

(admin edit - see Posting Requirements )

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

I'm afraid our old friend Patrick cannot respond to your question as he sadly passed away in 2012.

See: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=28730

Perhaps another member has some information of the source?

Trev.

Sigh, still miss Pat so much...

The scan was taken from Leona Boylan's 'Spanish Colonial Silver' (1974), much of the information on the fake marks in her book was taken from research done in the '30s by Lawrence Anderson, author of 'The Art of the Silversmith in Mexico, 1519-1936'.

~Cheryl