Help with Gold Toothpick hallmarks Birmingham

[pugesa]

Hi again!

Any information with this? It's 9 carats. gold toothpick, but no have idea about the maker (V&J) and manufacturation year ( L, Z...¿?)






Thank you very much!!

[dognose]

Hi,

See Villers & Jackson here: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=14729&p=76827&hilit=jackson#p76827

Date appears to be 1960.

Please remember to keep your images to within the 7" (18cm) width limits.

Trev.

[AG2012]

Hi,
Makers could be Villiers & Jackson. Quite unusual toothpick worn on chain. Registered in 1891, could be one of those late Victorian chatelaine mysterious objects. Date letter looks like ``Z`` but inconsistent marks for Birmingham date letters have already been discussed here.
Regards

[AG2012]

Trev is always faster. Right, letter ``L`` looks exactly like 1960, but the cartouche is distinctively different, so I had to eliminate it. Must admit, it`s a mystery to me, unless a novelty pendant of some kind, I haven’t seen tooth pricking in `60.

[dognose]

Hi AG2012,

At the Birmingham Assay Office the cartouches differ between gold and silver.

Trev.

[AG2012]

Thank you, have never had any gold marked in Birmingham and did not pay attention.

The same letters were used for Gold, which has been marked in Birmingham since 1824, but with a background of a square with cut corners.

[pugesa]

Thanks guys!! You're the best!
Kind regards!

Alex

[AG2012]

This item is described as `‘button needle`` elsewhere, made by the same maker in sterling (the needle retracts within the cylinder).
Both button needle and toothpick are not very convincing.
Still searching

[AG2012]

Hi again,
Have solved it.
CIGAR PIERCER. Boaring tool when twisted. Retractable screw design.
To pierce, you just poke a small hole in the cigar cap with a piercer, wooden match, or the like. Because the hole is small, tars can accumulate around the hole, which can make the cigar taste bitter. This is why very few people pierce cigars anymore.
This also explains its use