Bread basket ? Sterling Lion 2 Unknown maker & countryB JdV
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:35 am
Hi, I have searched too long trying to find info on this piece which I believe to be a bread basket. I apologize if this is not in the right place but as I said I really dont know enough about it. Here is what I know or think I know...
It is my understanding that this lion hallmark means sterling and I think I understood that the 2 under the lion defined the silvers fineness? That doesnt make sense though, if it is sterling...hmmm. Anyway, the closest thing I could find to the JDV was John Vanderveer and when I searched that name to get a confirmation I found nothing. Besides, that mark should be JVD. I couldnt find anything on the B.
The piece seems to be lacking in quality, or maybe it is just that it was handmade? You can see areas where the silver could have been smoothed out better around the beading at the top edge, also there are lines up the sides and at the ends where the 4 side pieces were put together. This may be how these pieces were made but you usually cannot tell.
There is a picture of a single hallmark and another picture which shows that the hallmark was stamped on the outside of the basket on the side, I dont remember ever seeing hallmarking like that.
On the bottom of the basket (on the inside) there are some very small green spots. I would assume that maybe it was put away after some vinegar splashed on it or something to that affect? The spots are only on the bottom except where one in the corner crept up on the side edge. This is usually a sign to me that something is not solid gold or silver but I have 2 good reasons to believe this is solid silver... I was able to get a sufficiently deep test without damaging it and the lion is my second reason for believing it is solid silver.
Otherwise it seems to be a pretty solidly made piece. It is about 12" x 7" x 4" and it weighs about 11.7 ounces or 330 grams. Any help is greatly appreciated, Dave
It is my understanding that this lion hallmark means sterling and I think I understood that the 2 under the lion defined the silvers fineness? That doesnt make sense though, if it is sterling...hmmm. Anyway, the closest thing I could find to the JDV was John Vanderveer and when I searched that name to get a confirmation I found nothing. Besides, that mark should be JVD. I couldnt find anything on the B.
The piece seems to be lacking in quality, or maybe it is just that it was handmade? You can see areas where the silver could have been smoothed out better around the beading at the top edge, also there are lines up the sides and at the ends where the 4 side pieces were put together. This may be how these pieces were made but you usually cannot tell.
There is a picture of a single hallmark and another picture which shows that the hallmark was stamped on the outside of the basket on the side, I dont remember ever seeing hallmarking like that.
On the bottom of the basket (on the inside) there are some very small green spots. I would assume that maybe it was put away after some vinegar splashed on it or something to that affect? The spots are only on the bottom except where one in the corner crept up on the side edge. This is usually a sign to me that something is not solid gold or silver but I have 2 good reasons to believe this is solid silver... I was able to get a sufficiently deep test without damaging it and the lion is my second reason for believing it is solid silver.
Otherwise it seems to be a pretty solidly made piece. It is about 12" x 7" x 4" and it weighs about 11.7 ounces or 330 grams. Any help is greatly appreciated, Dave