European Silver?

[mygoldrocks]

Hi,

I bought this miniature kettle the other day but do not recognize the hallmark at all. Can anyone help?

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww20 ... 22e3d6.jpg

Thanks

[oel]

Hi welcome to the forum,

Congratulations you have a full house of Dutch pseudo/fake marks.


Clockwise; the letter C; pseudo year letter. Star; pseudo master’s mark of the Amsterdam/Bolsward silver smith Epke Hoytes (1601-1657). Lion rampant; pseudo guild city mark of Leeuwarden/ or pseudo province mark Holland/Friesland. Two Andreas crosses crowned; pseudo Amsterdam guild city mark. Could you please identify the little mark left of the city mark or show us a sharper image. ( macro/tulip function digital camera)
Please show us an image of the complete item and perhaps check for other official Dutch hallmarks and/or maker's mark.
For reference see;
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32028

Oel.

[mygoldrocks]

Hi,

Does this mean it is an illegal piece and I have to scrap it? Do you think it is actually an old piece or just a fake? Here are the photos you asked for:


http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww20 ... 5033fa.jpg

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww20 ... 952c12.jpg

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww20 ... 54293e.jpg

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww20 ... 66b36e.jpg

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww20 ... 6636d6.jpg

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww20 ... 73613c.jpg

Many thanks for your help
Richard

[oel]

Hi Richard,

Do not worry, it is not illegal and certainly not to be scrapped. It is a nice little miniature tea kettle. The tea kettle has the legal Dutch standard mark for small work, the sword mark for; minimum .833 fineness, used 1814-1905, with export key to indicate 2/3 marking duty restitution upon export, used 1853-1953. The maker’s mark is beyond recognition and partly over- struck by the pseudo mark. The miniature tea kettle probably has been made around the turn of the 19th century and by a skilled silver smith. The pseudo marks were struck to give the kettle the 'antique look' and perhaps to reduce import duties, antiques are exempt from import duty. Anyway, at the last quarter/end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, there has been a big demand for old continental silver and various silversmiths in the Netherlands started to make ‘antique’ silver items, in combination with legal hallmarks and pseudo marks but also without legal hallmarks and fooled the ignorant beholder/ buyer. Antique miniature silver is highly collected and demands high prices and even today the miniatures are still made and with pseudo/fake marks.

Oel.

[mygoldrocks]

Hi Oel,

That information is really useful, I was not sure what I had bought.

Thanks again.

Richard

[thejonfog]

Thanks for the info