www.925-1000.com

This is a silver buckle that looks very Napoleonic with abstract “bees”. Chape is a ferric metal. There are a few hallmarks one is a right facing rooster with a one on the bottom right for Paris 1809-1819. Where I am dead in the water is the makers mark. There are two. One is on the inside of the buckle and is a Diamond with a star on the top then a P.E over an L the one one the exterior edge is the same except the initials are P.H instead of P.E. So I have searched and have had little luck. I am hoping for a reference recommendation so I can research as I have exhausted online french hallmarking information. Any help would be appreciated. This is my first post
 

Hello and welcome!
In looking at Arminjon, v. I, no. 02974, p. 294, there is the mark of a buckle maker that looks like your man, Pierre-Hyacinthe Langlois. His mark was the initials PH over L with a star above and a duck over the star. Langlois started under the ancien régime in Melun on 15 July 1778, then transferred to St-Denis outside Paris in 1780. By 1803-04 he was in Paris at 64 rue St-Martin, where presumably he registered this mark, and at 57 rue du Temple in 1815. No end date is given. I don’t find the other maker’s mark you show.

Nocq, v. 3, p. 31-32, tells us more about the early life and career of Pierre-Hyacinthe Langlois. He was born in 1756 in Pontoise, and on 22 February 1769 apprenticed at age 13 to his father, Hyacinthe Langlois. Hyacinthe was himself the son and grandson of silversmiths, so Pierre-Hyacinthe came from a long line in the trade. In 1778 he registered a mark in Melun: crowned fleur de lys, two grains, PHL, a small rose. On 1 February 1780 he was authorized to move to St-Denis to take over from the silversmith J.-B. Bouton.

References:
Arminjon, Catherine et al. Dictionnaire des poinçons de fabricants d’ouvrages d’or er d’argent de Paris et de la Seine. v. I, 1798-1838, v. II, 1838-1875. Paris, Imprimerie nationale, 1991 and 1994.

Nocq, Henri. Le poinçon de Paris, v. 1-5. Paris, Floury, 1926.

These are the two standard texts for Paris makers’ marks, sadly both out of print, although available occasionally on the secondary market.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much! I am trying to expand my library on French hallmarks. I love French silver, it has proved hard to find online data. I am grateful for the reference citations especially!
Kind regards
Elizabeth

My pleasure to help.

In looking at your marks again, I believe the initials are the same.

Enjoy your plunge into French silver!

JayT wrote:My pleasure to help.

In looking at your marks again, I believe the initials are the same.

Enjoy your plunge into French silver!

It has been an enormous help. And I will keep my eyes open for those references. I love silver collecting so very much