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Hello dear participants,

when my grandmother (Frankfurt/Main, Germany) died in March we found this spoon in her belongings.



I found a set of different marks/hallmarks. I am a layman, never had anything to do with silver before, and only found out some details with the help of this beautiful website. So I think it might be from London, Samuel Boyce Landeck, but the "F" might mean it is an import. Please correct me if I´m wrong.



It is to be found on the back and rim of the spoon.

On the inside of the spoon I found this mark:



Could it be the Minerva Head, meaning it is dutch? with an export key?

The next mark I found, on the back of the spoon, is this which I couldn´t find anywhere:



Or could it be some kind of eagle?

Also on the back of the spoon were these initials, I suppose the Maker´s Mark:



Does anyone know it?

I´d be so glad if anyone knew anything about it! Oh, my grandmother was born and raised in Hanau, but with the information I found I couldn´t relate it to Hanau Pseudos, or do you?

With many thanks in advance,

moerpse

Hi Moerpse,

Welcome to the Forum.

We see these particular marks quite a lot on the forum, and yes, they are Dutch.



Here's a topic that offers some further information:

http://925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php ... 34&p=93429

Trev.

Hello Trev.,

thank you so much for your quick answer, it helped me a lot!

So I learn from your answer that these are Dutch Pseudo Marks. When I followed your link, I found a post of Oel saying the single headed eagle could mean it was from Deventer, is that right?

Am I right in interpreting that this Dutch piece of work was exported to London, where it got the mark of the walking lion, meaning it is .925 silver, the "F" meaning "foreign", and the "P" standing for the year of 1890?

moerpse

Hi Moerpse,

As far as the London information that you have, it is correct.

Hopefully Oel, or another member knowledgeable in Netherlands silver, can explain the Dutch side of things.

Trev.

Dear Trev.,

I have to thank you again for your quick answer!
It´s so nice to know the background of this inheritance as I´ll keep it in memory of my grandmother.

Have a nice day!

Yours,
moerpse

Hi Moerpse, welcome to the Dutch forum.

Single headed eagle is a Dutch pseudo mark or fantasy town mark. For more information see:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=28590

Minerva head with export key is unusual normally we find the export key in the standard mark, small mark (sword mark)or tax mark for unguaranteed new objects of national origin.
For more information see:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32028.

Please check your spoon for a tiny Dutch date letter and a proper Dutch maker’s mark.


Oel.

Dear Oel,

thank you for the welcome and the information! I am glad the spoon also could interest the dutch pro!
After reading your text I searched again. I found on the leeward side of the ship this little mark:



Looks a little bit like the Dutch Date Mark "F" for 1890, doesn´t it? What do you think?

The spoon also has more to show, like the initials "HHR" on the back of the spoon handle:



The percentage of purity:




And a little mark I was not sure to be a real mark, I can´t read it at all:



Maybe you can make anything of it?

Thank you very much in advance!

Moerpse

I scanned the whole object again and found a tiny mark on the spoon handle:



And I tried to make a better picture of the Minerva Head because I couldn´t identify which Regional Assay Office Identification Letter it has- is it a "D"?



Yours sincerely,

moerpse

Yes the “missing” Dutch 1st standard mark; lion rampant 1 and date letter Gothic F for 1890, maker’s mark RS above 2 (at your image up sight down and now rotated )
for: Jans Rinze Spaanstra registered in the cities of Drachten/Wommels/Berlicum(Frisian) and Nijehaske from around 1843 till 1896. Known to have used those particular set of pseudo Marks.
Most likely the regional assay office letter should read F for the city of Leeuwarden.

Best,

Oel.

Sorry for the late answer, just returned home from vacation-

Wow, this is so exciting! Thank you both so much for helping me out! I never thought this could be so interesting. In Future I will follow the news on your website.

Greetings from Germany to the Netherlands and Great Britain,
With best regards,

Moerpse