Large Sterling Presentation Bowl ID

[shunkpenn]

Hello

I'm trying to determine the origin and possible maker of what appears to be a large French made presentation piece for an English couple. I am providing a link with a few pics. Thanks for any help or input.....

http://s514.photobucket.com/user/shunkpenn/bowl/story

[AG2012]

I have embedded one of your pictures (with the mark). It’s French export mark used 1840-1879 for big articles (Mercury head in octagon). Are you sure this is the only mark?
Regards

[shunkpenn]

Thanks for the information. There is another very small mark that could be a makers mark or an assay mark beside the duty mark. It looks like a "v" with a dot on each side....that's all I can find so far.

[AG2012]

French silversmith mark cannot be a single letter.Search for initials and a symbol.

[shunkpenn]

I can't find another mark that I would attribute to a maker. The only other mark is what appears to be a very small assay office mark maybe from Melun...

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

Please post an image of that mark.

Trev.

[shunkpenn]

Trevor

There is a pic of it in the photo album. It is in close proximity to the duty mark.

http://s514.photobucket.com/user/shunkpenn/bowl/story

[AG2012]

If you mean this mark (red arrow) it does not look like anything I can decipher.

[shunkpenn]

Yes......that is the mark I'm referring to. It looks similar to the Melun assay mark without the dots on each side. I went over the piece again and I can't find anything that I would determine to be a Makers mark. This came from my grandfather's estate who bought it from an antique dealer. I'm going to do some research and try to track the family descendants down. It would be interesting to return it to the bloodline.

[AG2012]

An odd - looking mark, is it deeply engraved or really stamped ? But you can see better with higher magnification loupe. Nothing similar is found even in cancelled symbols.

[shunkpenn]

It looks like it is stamped.....it is very small....the duty mark is very small as well. You wouldn't even know it was a duty mark without magnification.