search for french maker

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 6:49 am

Help with French maker
Its a tiny, little teaspoon, 14,5 cm long, Minerce after 1839, who is G with anchor in losange, who is Rislerkist or Risler & Kist? I didn't find anything in Beuque, dictinnaire... So help is needed

thanks in advance
best regards
Wolfgang

blakstone · Post by **blakstone** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:15 am

Your excellent photo shows that the piece is not Parisian, but provincial. You'll note in front of Minerva's forehead the little mark that looks like two inverted parentheses: )( That's the diffÃ©rent, a mark used to indicate a particular provincial office. Here, its the astrological sign of Pisces, for the assay office in Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin dÃ©partment.

Unfortunately, the only books I know of on Strausbourg silver don't cover any makers after the First Empire.

It is worth noting, however, the the assay office was not operational 1871-1919, when the city was annexed by the German Empire (between the Franco-Prussian War and World War One). Given the style, your spoon is almost certainly dates before 1871.

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 10:54 am

Thanks blakstone, first step confirmed - Strasbourg. But still remains the question, how is the maker's mark in losange "G" going together with "Rislerkist" ?
Kind regards Wolfgang