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I'm putting this fish slice in the Dutch section in case my hunch proves to be right.
A c.1790 fish slice with very crude engraving. Marked with a B and two other marks, which may be Chinese or Asian characters.

Any clues?

Miles

Hi Miles - could the B be 13? Regards John

Hello Miles,

My first impression we are looking at a malformed & damaged Guild city mark of Amsterdam Crowned. Date letter be could be for 1786. However……..?


Regards,

Oel

Hello John and Oel,

I'm not sure about the 13, although that's how the dealer read it. He also thought it could be B for Bavaria. Is that unlikely?

Miles

Hi Miles,

Bavaria Beer we drink. No I do not believe the B for the city of Batavia.

Batavia Dutch East Indies; from 1619 to 1949 under the name of the current Indonesian capital Jakarta was the seat of Authority in the Dutch East Indies. Two years after the founding of Batavia an European silversmith worked in Batavia. In Batavia, European silversmiths were subject to an ordinance on the gold and silverwork, although the native masters were exempt. There was no Batavia silversmith guild as such, but the gold and silver have been tested and punched with a city mark; an upright sword in a laurel wreath.

In 1634 the Assay Office has been assigned to a goldsmith who also acted Assay Master. The first comprehensive instruction dates from 1667. Initially a date letter has been used, but the date leter disappeared around 1730. The assaying of gold and silver stopped around 1800.

Gratitude free tranlated into English out of the book ; Het Zilver lexicon by Janjaap Luijt

Regards,

Oel

Thank you very much, Oel.
Wishful thinking rarely turns out to be right.

Miles