www.925-1000.com

My first husband gave me this really amazing miniature silver chest when we were both in college - a trinket he picked up for not very much (since we were poor) for my birthday one year (probably '79 or '80).



It's just 1.5" x 7/8" x 7/8". It is perfectly crafted - the lid fits perfectly, all of the hardware is just a perfect fit with smooth movements.

It has this stamp on the bottom:



(Click here to see a much larger picture, to see the stamps up close.)

Maybe I've watched a few too many Antiques Roadshows, but I'd really like to find more about this. But I have absolutely no idea where I'd find someone who could appraise this or give me more information about it. I realize that I'll likely have to pay for someone to do that, but I don't even know how to look for someone who would be qualified to do this.

Anyone have an idea as to how to proceed with this?

Or if you feel up to helping me research this, I'd love it. I've come up completely empty, other than to determine that Culmbach (what appears to be the word stamped on the bottom) is a town in Germany. Searches for Culmbach with silver, silversmith or anything like that have come up with absolutely nothing.

Here are the rest of the photos I took of this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanama/set ... 67/detail/

Any information or guidance that anyone can give me is much appreciated.

I love it
13 is silver contenth and is 13/16 part of silver
H is city and I dont know where. Or it might be assayer, but soon someone will tell you.
Last is maker and his name was Culmbach - he might be more difficult to find but someone might help you.

Hose_dk wrote:I love it
13 is silver contenth and is 13/16 part of silver
H is city and I dont know where. Or it might be assayer, but soon someone will tell you.
Last is maker and his name was Culmbach - he might be more difficult to find but someone might help you.

Thank you! That at least confirms that it's silver - I wasn't completely sure, had some telling me it was pewter but it seemed too hard for pewter plus it polishes up a lot shinier than pewter (just not polished right now).

I've not found anything online about a silversmith named Culmbach so I've been assuming that was the name of the town (Culmbach, Germany), though I've not found anything about a town stamp for Culmbach either.

I think the H is actually a K - if you look at the larger picture (link provided) it looks more like a K.

it is correct
it is the town Culmbach and the Makersmark H
could be the mark of Huebschmann

Theoderich wrote:it is correct
it is the town Culmbach and the Makersmark H
could be the mark of Huebschmann

Thank you! Do you have more information - Huebschmann's first name? Anything else he's done?

I'm still digging online and finding little to nothing.

I'm trying to find out if and when Kulmbach, Germany was typically spelled "Culmbach" -- I see many references online to "Culmbach" and even maps showing the town, but the town name is now Kulmbach.

I'm also seeing that the name Culmbach (as opposed to the town of Culmbach/Kulmbach) is typically Danish - when I search for Culmbach as a name, most of the people I find are in Denmark.

But that's about all I've found so far.

Hello Buela,

I believe Culmbach is a French way of spelling the German city of Kulmbach, like Karlsruhe was formerly Carlsruhe, due to the French influence in Europe, the popularity of the French language with the European Aristocrats and the Napoleonic wars. Like at the end of the 19th century once again the French spelling of names came into fashion in Germany and Karl became Carl. Later Carl changed back again to Karl. Should we blame the Germans or the French for this confusion, I don't know perhaps we could ask Merkozy .

Pleas see history of Kulmbach and the French-German wars fought over Kulmbach/Culmbach;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulmbach

Regards,

Oel

Buela wrote:

Theoderich wrote:it is correct
it is the town Culmbach and the Makersmark H
could be the mark of Huebschmann

Thank you! Do you have more information - Huebschmann's first name? Anything else he's done?

Now - there was more then one Hübschmann in Culmbach.
In the "Gewerbeadressbuch" from 1858 + 1863
are 3 Gold and Silverworker in Culmbach

Gold- und Silberarbeiter

Hübschmann, C 1858
Hübschmann, J. G. 1863/64
Goeppner, J. A. 1863/64

Theoderich wrote: Now - there was more then one Hübschmann in Culmbach.
In the "Gewerbeadressbuch" from 1858 + 1863
are 3 Gold and Silverworker in Culmbach

Gold- und Silberarbeiter

Hübschmann, C 1858
Hübschmann, J. G. 1863/64
Goeppner, J. A. 1863/64

Thank you! Is there anything available that might help me determine who made this piece, or any examples of any of their work (or marks) online or in print?