What I did not understand?

PHOTOS REQUIRED - marks + item
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amena
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Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:42 am

What I did not understand?

Post by amena »

Today I attended an auction in which this box was sold.
Image
It was so described
Circular seal-holder box in cast and chiseled silver. Netherlands (?) 18th-19th century
gr. 465, height 3.1 cm, diameter 15.1 cm.

I know it's not allowed to talk about prices, but I can tell it has been sold for about ten times the expert's estimate.
Evidently the expert and I overlooked something that the bidders considered very well.
Can anyone point me to the thing I underestimated?
Thanks
Amena
oel
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Re: What I did not understand?

Post by oel »

Image

The United Provinces of the Netherlands, or United Provinces (officially the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands), commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, Coat of arms of the States General Unity makes power 'Concordia res parvae crescunt., beautifully engraved.

This was the motto of the Dutch Republic (1581-1795) and during most of the Napoleonic times (1802-10). It continued to be used in the country until 1816 when it was replaced by the current Dutch motto Je maintiendrai. "Unity makes strength" was recorded for the first time in the Netherlands in the book Gemeene Duytsche Spreekwoorden ("Common Dutch Proverbs") in 1550, whilst the area was still within the Spanish Empire and under the rule of Charles V. After the Dutch gained independence, the new Dutch Republic took over the phrase as its motto and it appeared on several of its coins and coats of arms, usually in the original Latin form, Concordia res parvae crescunt (literally "together the small will grow"), referring to the new state's initially small territorial size. From the late 16th century onwards the start of the motto was frequently used on Dutch coinage, such as the Leicester-rijksdaalder in 1586.[15]
http://hubert-herald.nl/Staatswapen2.htm
The French occupied the Netherlands from 1795 to 1813, first as the Batavian Republic, then the Kingdom of Holland, then as an annexed part of France itself. Early in the occupation the national motto was changed to "Gelykheid, Vryheid, Broederschap" (Equality, Liberty, Fraternity), but from 1802 to 1810 'Unity makes strength' was re-introduced. It remained in use until the institution of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands when, in 1816, it switched to the House of Orange motto Je maintiendrai.


The circular silver box was presented by the States General to a special person. 17th- 18th Century silver made in The Hague is very sought after, highly collectible.
Town mark of The Hague, Stork with eel in beak in crowned shield. Year letter The Hague 10e Alfabet, date letter D(?) for 1726, Lion rampant provincial standard mark for 1st standard silver 934/1000, makers mark CR with radish in between for; Christoffel Radijs, registered in the Hague 1725-1782.

Peter.
amena
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Re: What I did not understand?

Post by amena »

Here is the mystery ( for me) solved.
Thanks, Peter, for the clear and thorough explanation.
The battle was so heated that there had to be a valid reason to justify it.
Best regards
Amena
AG2012
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Re: What I did not understand?

Post by AG2012 »

Hi,
The box is called skippet; a small, round box for protecting an official seal, as on a document.
Even on royal parchments (documents) the skippet was often made of wood, cardboard or tin.
Meaning, silver skippet Amena showed must have been attached to extremely rare and important document related to the very statehood of the Netherlands. Whoever divorced it from the document made huge mistake.

Regards
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