Are these French Import Marks of the late 18th Century ?

[buckler]

I recently purchased a pair of very fine shoe buckles from a vendor in France. They bear the mark of Samuel Cooke and the typical London assay marks of the Lion Passant and the George head . With a duty mark but no date letter, the dating of the buckles is between 1785 and c1790.
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However they each have two other marks totally alien to the English ones.
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Jan Divis gives (Nr 1277) a very similar mark to the left one as the Paris import mark used in the 1781 - 1789 period .
The right hand one is unknown to me, but I think it may be the letters ET , perhaps standing for ÉTRANGER.
French for Foreign. Pure guesswork !
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Can anyone confirm this, or, more likely , give the proper explanation please ?

[dognose]

Hi Clive,

Just to get things rolling, the mark on the left is described as a medium census mark used on gold and silver that was applied in the provinces:



Source: A Guide to Old French Plate - Louis Carré

Trev.

[JayT]

Hmm… there are at least 3 French marks of a left facing eagle head in profile. This particular bird (nice, crisp mark) is the Paris import mark in use from 13 July 1780 to 23 February 1789, as Buckler initially identified. The contour and relative size of the mark, the feathers on the back of the head pointing slightly up and forward all indicate that it is the import eagle. Furthermore it would not be logical to have an early nineteenth century provincial recount (census) mark for medium-sized objects on an imported item.

What is puzzling me is the ET mark. No thoughts about this for now.

[dognose]

Hi JayT,

Many thanks for the correction. I don't think I'll ever get my head around the French marking system!

Trev.

[JayT]

Hi Trev -
Practice, practice, practice.....or use the 925-1000 Forums!
JayT

[buckler]

Many thanks JT.
Does my theory on ET strike you as being possible ?
ET was certainly recorded as being used in the mid-19th century on silver imported to France.

Trev, I agree with you on the difficulties of the French marking system. It make my head even thinking about it.

[JayT]

Hi Buckler —
Your theory about the ET for étranger mark is possible, but I’ve never seen a script ET mark, nor can I find one in my resources. I also wonder why there would be 2 import marks (eagle head and script ET) on the same buckle. I’ve even considered that the T really is a J, and might be a retailer, but no luck. Rotating the image every which way doesn't make it speak either. Sorry can’t be more helpful to you.

[buckler]

Many thanks JayT

I think we all have many pieces whose marks await that Eureka moment !
I recall when I bought my first complete buckle , it had a makers mark and another very badly worn mark. I'd had it several weeks until turning it one way that caught the light just right and revealed the Bell Fish and Bird of Glasgow. I very excitedly rushed to show it to my wife. As she was relaxing in the bath at the time ..........

Another two theories
Could it be an owners inventory mark ? Hopefully Marie Antoinette's household !
Or an official inventory mark indicating that a silver levy tax had been paid ?

It joins a long list

[JayT]

Gosh Buckler…the Marie-Antoinette fantasy. She really, really liked pretty things but was obliged to buy local. Could be someone else’s cipher however. As for a tax levy mark, the eagle head indicates that tax was paid on an imported object.

I’ll keep this in my cold case file, because as you’ve realized, you never know when a Eureka moment will strike.