Postby silverport » Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:30 am
»Boar II« (in edges clipped square cartouche) = Porto, Portugal; 833-1,000 fineness.
»Ewer« (in a vertical rectangle) = Maker’s mark (maybe: Joaquim Campinho da Silva Ãguiar, 1901-1906).
Time span of ladles production: maybe 1901-1906 - Time span of assaying: 1887-1937.
Hello David
Welcome to the Forum.
»Boars mark II«, for Porto in force: 1887-1937 (Vol. II (1887-1993), page 14, number 73)
The on yours ladle used assay mark of Porto, with the Roman cipher II stands for »10 dinheiro« = 833-1,000 fineness. This assay office mark was in use from 1887 on, until 1937. The Roman cipher II indicates Portuguese »Standard« alloy in Silver; and that was always 10 dinheiro. In Portugal were in use, excepcional, 11 dinheiro alloy, and the already mentioned 10 dinheiro alloy. 11 dinheiro are also named: »1º tÃtulo« (“1º tÃtulo” means: primary chapter of rules = instructions, regulations).
By the way, that is an ancient measuring system of fineness in “Roman” languages speaking countries, e.g. France, Portugal and Spain: France: »Denier«; Portugal: »Dinheiro«; Spain: »Dinero«.
12 = 1,000; 11 = 916-1,000; 10 = 833-1,000; very seldom (in times of wares or economic decline) 9 = 750-1,000.
Actually an attribution to the maker could only be a guess; for reasons of some differences in the maker’s mark (form of cartouche, little details of the ewer, and letter in the ladles mark is missing).
Maybe maker of the ladle is:
Joaquim Campinho da Silva Ãguiar
Gondomar
»Ewer« mark J, in a vertical oval cartouche, was registered in Porto in 1901, and cancelled in 1906.
(Vol. II (1887-1993), page 226, number 2184)
But there is an example for Porto registered, in which the form of cartouche (vertical rectangle) remained, also the primary contents of mark, a pitcher, and his shape - but little details of the pitchers handle, and the letter in the mark were changed from former letter M (placed above of the pitcher) from 1908, to letter J (placed above left of the pitcher). The change has happen 1939 for reason of succession, from father to son; and was cancelled in 1983 = 75 years consistency. Mark M = p. 281, nr. 2734; Mark J = p. 257, nr. 2493.
I will still remain to hold in mind a possible change in marks cartouche by nr. 2184 — but also three courses through the whole in Porto registered marks (from 1887 on) has remained until yet without a final clue.
Source: «Marcas de Contrastes e Ourives Portugueses» ISBN 972-27-0773-6. Vol. II (1887-1993). 4th ed. (Reprint 3rd ed.) 1997, Lisbon.
Kind regards silverport