Silver Handled Scissors- Schoonhoven ?

[joho]

Hi all- Any ideas on this pair of scissors, apparently Dutch? The blades are steel and the arms and finger rings silver. The arms and finger grips, if on English sugar nips, would date from circa 1740 to 1780. As on English tongs they are hallmarked on the outside edge of each finger ring, facing inwards. The hallmarks are not very well struck and are a little worn, but appear to be a stamp with 4 'shaped blobs', a partial letter K, and 2 letters very difficult to read but possibly IB or IR. Both finger rings are hallmarked. There are also Roman numerals X V cut into the inside of one of the rings. By all appearances they appear to be mid to late 18th century, but ........they also have the 'dolphin' mark!!! They are about 14cm long. Many thanks John

[oel]

Hi Joho,


Town mark Schoonhoven, four Lions Rampant, facing lef, in a shield.

Year letter K for 1783
Yes, schoonhoven maker's mark IR for; Jan Roozenburg, baptized 1-7-1732, date registered 1765 and died around /after 1806.
We know three maker's marks of Jan Roozenburg, all variations of IR in a 'squarish' shield. Known maker of silver traveling/cutlery sets, and silver bag mounts. The year letter appears to be the K for Schoonhoven 1783.

The Dutch dolphin mark; the 1859 duty mark for new unguaranteed objects of national origin. This mark was used on all new silver objects below legal standard of fineness, those with non-precious metal additions, and on new heavily gold or silver plated objects, as long as the average precious metal content after melting with the base metal was at least 250/1000. It was also struck on rejected objects which had been submitted at lowest standard of fineness. In that case the maker had to choose between destruction or unguaranteed marking. This mark was sometimes also mistakenly used on old and foreign objects. Dolphin mark used from 1859-1893 and valid from 1859 till 1953.

Best,

Peter

[joho]

Wow that was quick!! Many thanks as always Peter. Regards John