unknown silver powder box

[Johannes]

Hello,
I have an silver powder box, on the cover is a Portrait of Louis XIV. I can not identify the mark (lion ?? / cat ??). Can somebody help ??
thanks a lot
Johannes

[oel]

Hi, could be made in Belgium. The Belgian law of 5 June 1868 put an end to any regulation with regard to the maker's mark, when entering into force on 1 July 1869. The gold and silver smiths should not have a mark any longer and did not have to register any longer and they did not have to present their work for assaying. Marks were no longer obliged. Nonetheless, one could ask the authorities for an assaying against payment, but this was optional and only possible if the alloy was at least equal to a “legal title”
Nevertheless, the good manufacturers continued using a company mark and an fineness mark. The content and form of the company mark could be chosen by themselves and the fineness mark mostly consisted of a number showing the alloy in thousandth parts. Many Belgian silversmiths sold their unmarked products to retailers who in return put their retailers mark instead.


Oel.