Hi,
I have been using this resource for a while but I knew that it was not very user friendly and that it had the main drawback of being in french. It is the reason why I was reluctant to mention it on the forum.
Now it is disclosed, which is certainly a good thing, for those who understand french.
Concerning Tom's problem with the initials, you must be aware of a syntax rule : each letter of the initials string must be followed by a dot as it is explained somewhere in the help (in french !!!).
For instance instead of typing in GJ in the 'initiales' field, you must type in G.J. (the dot after the J seems to be mandatory)
With this syntax rule in mind, it leads you to a page which lists all the matching makers.
By the way, it is better to use the following link, which is much richer:
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/documentation/marque/orfeo-frame.htmOn the left side, clicking on the 'recherche avancée' item you can access the same database, wheras when you click on the 'Accès par liste' item, you get access to the list of makers and to the list of maker's marks description (still in french !!!).
This database is under the responsibility of the french ministry for culture and therefore reliable. But it is not exhaustive and covers only the parisian makers for a rather short period of time (I do not know which period).
Hope this helps.
Dinio
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