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Unknown marks on spoon
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 9:49 am
by silverfan
Hi all,
these marks are completely unknown to me. I have even no idea from what country the spoon comes. Any help appreciated.
Regards silverfan
Re: Unknown marks on spoon
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:06 am
by dognose
Hi Silverfan,
Maybe early Spanish, or Spanish colonial.......Mexico?
Trev.
Re: Unknown marks on spoon
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:11 am
by silverfan
I apologise, I found these marks not on a spoon but on a plate with two handles.
Regards silverfan
Re: Unknown marks on spoon
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 12:37 pm
by dragonflywink
Boylan's 'Spanish Colonial Silver' (1974), using images and information from Anderson's 'The Art of the Silversmith in Mexico, 1519-1936, Vol. I', shows these marks as Mexican, forgeries of those from the period of Chief Assayer Diego Gonzalez de la Cueva, 1733-78. Boylan did question Anderson's opinions of a couple of marks as forgeries, so perhaps someone else has more information...
~Cheryl
Re: Unknown marks on spoon
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 12:53 pm
by dognose
Re: Unknown marks on spoon
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 2:45 pm
by dragonflywink
Anderson found 'old mark' stamps being used on forgeries in several Mexican shops in the 1930s, photographed impressions from those found are shown in Boylan's book - they include variants of the marks on this piece, though none identical. Perhaps he might have been suspicious in particular of the upturned wings and general appearance of the 'eagle' in this set of marks, which is atypical of the Mexican eagle marks, having instead, to my eye, a rather distinctive, sort of 'Imperial eagle' look...
~Cheryl
