Maltese Silverware Information

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MALTESE SILVERWARE INFORMATION

A topic for sharing information, advertisements, examples etc. about the gold and silverwares, and jewellery from the island of Malta.

Current Maltese Assay Marks

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EMIDIO CRITIEN (CRETIEN)

Strada Forni, later, 58, Strada Reale, Valletta


Emidio Critien - Valletta - 1880

Among the best shops is that of....Cretien, Strada Forni, Jeweller and Goldsmith

Source: Travels in Europe and in the Island of Sicily - Mariana Starke - 1836


Emidio Critien was an exhibitor at the Great Exhibition held at London in 1851. The report of his display recorded the following:

Cretien E. Strada Forni, Valletta. Manufacturer. - Gold filligree: Bracelets; rose-chain bracelets; cross and knot brooches. Double pin for hair. Rose chains. Flat and rose rings etc.

Silver Filligree; Basin. Oval plates with flowers. Round plates. Card-cases. Candlesticks. Teaspoons. Cups. Wreath for the head. Bead bracelets. Pins. An arrow for the hair. Bouquet-holder brooches. Stars. Knot, tie, and shawl brooches. Rose chain etc.

Gold articles: Gold rose chain for waistcoat. Broad flat rings.

Emidio Critien was granted his warrant on the 1st December 1818.

Marks of Emidio Critien:

EC


1840


1844



1855



1856

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J.S. MILLAR

228, later, 243, Strada Reale, and 43, Strada Teatro, Palace Square, Valletta


J.S. Millar - Valletta - 1858

James Scotton Millar was born at Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.

J.S. Millar was recorded at 228 Strada Reale, Valletta, in 1849.

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MICHAEL BORG & Co.

269, Strada Reale, Valletta, and 2, Haymarket, Pall Mall, London


Michael Borg - Valletta - 1880


Michael Borg - Valletta - 1893


Michael Borg & Co. - Valletta - 1931

On the 31st May 1897, Vincent Borg, located at the same London address, entered a mark 'V.B' contained within an oblong punch, with the London Assay Office.

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S. FALSON

Strada Reale, Valletta

S. Falson was an exhibitor at the Great Exhibition held at London in 1851. The report of his display recorded the following:

Falson, S. Strada Reale, Valletta, Manufacturer.–

Gold articles: Maltese rose chain. Bracelets, with scales, cameo, coral, oriental cameo, etc. Brooches, with bunch of flowers, in the form of a knot, and with a rose and flowers. Chain, imitation of Venice work. Large-sized pins. Bracelet, lace pattern. Pair of hair-pins. Various pins, with coral, mosaic work, cameo, etc. Shirt-studs. Chain rings. Rose chain rings. Small rose chain necklaces, etc.

Silver ornaments: Filigree flower-stands. Flower ornaments for the hair. Hair-pins. Plates and small cups. Bead bracelets; rose bracelets; and bracelets of Gothic pattern; rose chain bracelets. Breast-pins and chatelaines. Arrows for the hair. Large and small flowers. Shawl-pine and pincushions. Pins for necklaces, etc.

Money-bag and card-cases. Bead buttons, various sizes. Butterfly of gold and silver. Pins in the form of a cornucopium. Small pins.

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D. & C. TANTI

203, Strada Reale, Valletta

This Goldsmiths' business was established in 1908 by Domenico Tanti, and his sisters Carmela Tanti and Caterina Tanti, at 203, Strada Reale, Valletta.

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ROCCO CORSONE

An example of the work and marks of Rocco Corsone:






Rocco Corsone was granted his warrant on the 16th September 1840.


Rocco Corsone - French standard - 1847



Rocco Corsone - Roman standard - 1849

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A. PORTELLI

Strada Strella, Valletta

Noted as an exhibitor of filigree silverware at the Great Exhibition held at London in 1851.

This may be Agostino Portelli, exhibiting in his role as head of the Chamber of Commerce, rather than that of a silversmith.

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M.A. ARRIGO

37, Strada Tesoreria, Valletta


M.A. Arrigo - Valletta - 1880

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VICTOR AZZOPARDI Ltd.

109, off Mriehel Bypass, Mriehel




This family owned business of of gold and silversmiths are now in their fourth generation, starting with Emmanuele Azzopardi in 1898, then followed by his son, Victor Azzopardi Sr., and now in the hands of the father and son team of Victor and Daniel Azzopardi.

Victor Azzopardi was granted his warrant on the 2nd January 1975.

The family also have retail outlets run by Victor's brother, Joseph, and his son, Luis.




The retail outlets are located at:

178, Marina street, Pietà
31/32, St. Anne Street, Floriana
Portomaso Hilton Malta (lobby)

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GERALDO PACE



Geraldo Pace - Roman standard - 1852



Geraldo Pace - Maltese standard - 1854

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FRANCIS MELI

50d, Strada Reale, later due to street renaming, 50d, Republic Street, Valletta





An example of the work and marks of Francis Meli:








NOTICE OF SEIZURE UNDER THE CUSTOMS ACTS.
22nd August, 1950.

To:–FRANCIS MELI,
50b, Strada Reale,
Valletta, Malta.

Pursuant to Section 207 of the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, and Section 4 of the Import Export and Customs Powers (Defence) Act, 1939,
I hereby give you notice that by virtue of the powers conferred upon me by the Customs Acts and enactments amending or extending these Acts I have seized as forfeited the following postal packets posted by you together with their contents, to wit the following:–

a postal packet containing ten £1 Bank of England notes addressed to Anstey & Wilson Ltd., Kenyon Street, Birmingham:
a postal packet containing ten £1 Bank of England notes addressed to Barker Bros., Silversmiths Ltd., Constitution Hill, Birmingham:
a postal packet containing ten £1 Bank of England notes addressed to G. Bryan & Co. (Silversmiths) Ltd., Gt. Hampton Street, Birmingham:
a postal packet containing ten £1 Bank of England notes addressed to A, L. Davenport Ltd., Gt. Hampton Street, Birmingham:
a postal packet contaning ten £1 Bank of England notes addressed to E.S. & A. Robinson Ltd., Bristol:
five postal packets each containing ten £1 Bank of England notes addressed to R. G. Springall & Co., Ltd., 57, Hatton Garden, London, E.C.I.

on the grounds that the said Bank of England notes were between the 13th day of December and the 30th day of December 1949 imported into the United Kingdom in contravention of the prohibition contained in Section 21 of the Exchange Control Act, 1947. Whereby and by force of Section 177 of the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, as applied by Part 3 of the Fifth Schedule to the Exchange Control Act, 1947 the said postal packets and notes are forfeited. If you claim or intend to claim that the said postal packets and notes are not liable to forfeiture you should within one calendar month of the date of this Notice give notice of your claim or intention to claim in accordance with the provisions of the said Section 207 and in default of such Notice the said postal packets and notes will be deemed to have been lawfully condemned and will be liable to be disposed of in such a manner, as the Commissioners of Customs and Excise may direct. If you make such claim within the time aforesaid legal proceedings will be instituted for the forfeiture and condemnation thereof.

F. J. Dyball, Officer of Customs and Excise.
Address: –
London Postal Depot,
Royal Agricultural Hall,
Islington, London, N.I.

Source: The London Gazette - 22nd August 1950



Trade Mark No: 39939
Filing Date: 30 Jul 2003
Priority Date: -
Proprietor’s Name and Address:
FRANCIS MELI JEWELLERS
Manufacturing Jeweller, Gold & Silversmith
50d Republic Street
Valletta
VLT 04
Malta
Mark:
FRANCIS MELI
Goods/Services:
jewellery, precious stones, semi-precious stones, bracelets, brooches, charms, cuff links, coins, diamonds, earrings, gold
and silver ware other than cutlery, forks and spoons; silver ornaments, silver plates, dishes and other articles, silver thread;
gold, unwrought or beaten; imitation gold, ivory, costume jewellery, medals, necklaces, pearls, pins, tie-pins, tie-clips,
plated articles, platinium; precious metals, unwrought or semi- unwrought; rings, jewellery chains; precious metals and their
alloys and goods in precious metals or coated therewith, not included in other classes; cases of precious metal, figurines
of precious metal, vases of precious metal, boxes of precious metal, ornaments of precious metal, works of art of precious
metal; horological and chronometric instruments, watches
Conditions of registration:
Registration gives no right to the exclusive use of the surname ‘Meli’ except when used together with the name ‘Francis’.

Source: The Malta Government Gazette - 26th July 2007

The firm of Francis Meli was established at Valletta in 1850 and continues today.



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CUTAJAR WORKS Ltd.

26, Triq Monsinur Depiro Street, Hamrun







The business of Charles Cutajar.

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GF




'M' - Hand - 'GF'

Anyone with a copy of Sir Charles Jackson's "English Goldsmiths and their Marks" (the original un-revised version) will know that he tentatively suggested that these marks were representative of the city of Belfast.




Why did he come to this conclusion? Probably for two reasons, the most obvious of course is the open hand mark resembling the Red Hand of Ulster and the other being that the highest concentration of discovery of pieces with this mark appeared at the time to be in Northern Ireland.

We now know that these items are in fact Maltese and would date from the period 1800-1810.

Besides the open hand mark, Maltese silver of this period carries the makers mark and also a single letter that denotes one of the three silver standards permitted at this time, the standard was divided into 12ths and as follows:-

"F" (French Silver) 11 1/2 parts Silver to 1/2 part alloy
"R" (Roman Silver) 11 parts Silver to 1 part alloy
"M" (Maltese Silver) 10 1/2 parts Silver to 1 1/2 parts alloy

The 'Open Hand' mark is thought to have been in use during the period 1800-1810, after 1810 the mark was replaced by the 'F', 'R', and 'M' being surmounted by a 'Stag's Head'. The 'Stag's Head' mark was a short-lived device and disappeared sometime between the period 1813-1824, although the 'F', 'R', and 'M' marks were to continue until the Ordinance of 1856 changed the regulations.

So why were so many pieces found in Ireland? The answer is a simple one, when the British wrestled the French out of Malta in 1799/1800, it was the Royal Irish Fusiliers, whose headquarters at that time was at Armagh, that were used for that campaign and presumably they brought these items back with them when they returned home.

I suppose there is a possibility that the hand was added as a hallmark to denote the victory over the French, but if so an error occurred, the Red Hand of Ulster is always right handed where as the Maltese Silver mark is left handed.

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GIUSEPPE COUSIN



Hand - 'M' - 'GC'

Giuseppe Cousin received his warrant in 1779.

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JOSEPH LEBRUN




Marks: Clenched fist with dagger - Crowned 'R' - 'LE' above 'BR' above 'UN' with a trefoil above.

Joseph Lebrun was noted as being 'Master of the Mint' at Malta in 1799.

The letters 'F', 'R', and 'M' are to be found surmounted by a crown during the grandmastership of Emanuel de Rohan (1775-1797). Following the Knights of St John being driven out of Malta by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798, the crown above the letters disappears.

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ANDREA NAUDI



'AN.' over 'NA.' - 1827 - 'R'



'M' - Hand - 'AN.' over 'NA.'

Andrea Naudi was granted his warrant in 1805.

He is likely to the same Andrea Naudi that served as a Lieutenant in the Mdina Rabat Dingli battilion during the uprising against the French in 1798.

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GIUSEPPE CARUANA




The mark above is thought likely to be that of Giuseppe Caruana.

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EMIDIO GUSIMANO



'R' - Hand - 'EG'



'EG' - Hand - 'R'

Emidio Gusimano was granted his warrant in 1805.

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ANGELO BUGEJA



'AB' - 'M' - 1856

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