Shakers-Diamond "C-over-A & Hammer"

[Traintime]

Doubt we'll get this, but good for the record of makers.
Square guarantee stamp punched through threads leaves only vague Minerva w/o cartouche, so little help there beyond 800 fine minimum. Maker is one of many C.A.'s, in this case horizontally oriented diamond, "C" top, "A" bottom, and Hammer tool bisecting with head to right & handle left. Minerva most visible in photo #2. Glass base to top, overall 2 3/4". Cap 3/4".

[JayT]

Hello
French marks can be difficult enough without confusing the situation with inaccurate terminology and descriptions of the marks. The vocabulary for French marks is quite precise.

First, the Minerva head is a silver standard mark (poinçon de titre) in use from 1838-1972. If stamped in an octagonal reserve, or if you prefer a rectangle with clipped corners, the Minerva head indicates 950 standard silver. If stamped in a barrel shaped reserve, 800 standard silver. In French the reserve is not called a cartouche but rather a cadre. The reserve is never square. A French guarantee mark is something else entirely, having to do with payment of taxes, and went out of use in 1838. Please see Tardy 20th edition, p. 199.

The maker’s mark is stamped in a lozenge-shaped reserve. If you say triangle, you will be understood, but lozenge in the preferred term. The maker’s mark stamped in a lozenge shape has been in use since 1797.

For your item, after having checked Arminjon v. I and II, and the French Ministry of Culture website for makers CA or GA without success, I assume your maker was from the provinces. A mark under Minerva’s chin would indicate what province.

Hope this helps a bit to clarify the vocabulary of the French marking system.

[Traintime]

Thank you JayT. If I use odd and non-precise terminology it is only because I was taught in Journalism that one must write so that even a 5-year old child would be able to follow the discussion. We probably don't get many children searching threads, but I use words found in the site charts and vocabulary entrys in order to make keyword searches possible for all the people who are not familiar with proper terminology. It is confusing, and even in the definition of "lozenge" the words "diamond" and "cartouche" are used on the site: https://www.925-1000.com/silverglossary4.html

Thanks again. My apologies and hopes not to drive you too crazy in the future and will pay attention to things you pointed out.

[Dendriet]

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When I look at photo 2 it is rather an ax than a hammer.
That makes a huge difference
Furthermore, the photo is very blurred

[Traintime]

Quite right Dendriet, could be an axe form. (Original photos w/10x louping are quite clear. Not sure why we see resolution losses and blurred pixelation during transmittal through host sites...by email they travel clean so it shouldn't be a line problem. Could this be affecting others?)

The actual head shape, when viewed sideways in orientation, looks like the profile of a low cut boot curving once down and once out toward the toe (the back if the axe or hammer). You might think of something like a Tomahawk, fire axe, etc. The wide thickness of the handle compared to the head size is what led me to think hammer.