Jewish rattle, original or fake

[Johny]

[Aguest]

:: Russian silver Purim Rattle with a town mark of Kaluga? ::
::: There is a Jewish holiday were these types of noisemakers are used, the Purim holiday. :::
:::: As for authenticity, it seems to be a difficult item to fake, and why use the "Kaluga" town mark which is quite obscure? ::::
:::::::: But let others chime in with more expertise in the Russian category. ::::::::

[Qrt.S]

Kaluga's town crest is Emperor's crown above a wave at that period. Does this look like that? The assayer's initials is BC. No such assayer was ever in Kaluga. In 1873 BC was used by Viktor and Veniamin Savinsky, but they were in Moscow. BC is often seen on fakes. Cannot either find any matching maker with the initials of ИА/HA (or whatever it is...) in Kaluga. However, there are a lot of to name unknown Russian maker's marks, but still...
In addition, unfortunately most of Judaica objects on the market today are fakes. Sorry, but in my opinion this is a fake.

[AG2012]

Hi,
Qrt.S is right;this is not an authentic item, you call this purim rattle a fake or a reproduction.
Some sellers are honest, some not.
This offer is honest:

This is a post-war REPRODUCTION of an 84 SILVER IMPERIAL RUSSIA 1873 PURIM RATTLE. Item in great condition, filigree,decorated, beautifully made, fully marked with 84 silver markings as well as the date 1873. Original items like this would cost lots of money if you were ever able to find them, here you have a chance to get a repro that looks very much like an antique. Good for a gift or as a collection item. Covered with a patina that makes it look old. If you have any more questions please send me an email. Priority shipping available. Item located in Europe.

The same form and decoration, identical stone settings,figure on top,applied filigree....
Interestingly,they are always marked with minor assay offices for a good reason;whoever is familiar with Jewish history in Russia understands the absurdity of noisy Purim festivals in e.g. Moscow or St.Petersburg.
Qrt.S gave sound advice (repeated here many times): Russian imperial judaica items on the market today are fakes.
But it is an impossible mission;people still believe in great finds in thrift shops and garage sales.
Regards

[niceguy1]

This stands out as a fake from a mile away.