S. H & Co (coin maker?)

[cdc1962]

I found this beautiful, all silver basket with the marks "S.H&Co" on the underside, along with a squiggly line that may have been an old test mark. I've tried buffing this in several inconspicuous places, and it appears to be solid silver. The odd thing about the makers mark is that it in not in the typical rectangular punch as seen in most coin silver items. I has no English stamps, either. Has anyone ever seen this mark before?

[JAKJO]

Hi cdc1962 and welcome to the forum,

I agree with you; Sackermann, Hessenberg & Co. in Frankfurt and the engraved 13 (812.5/1000 pure silver).

viewtopic.php?t=17689

Best regards/JAKJO

[Theoderich]

R3 Nr. 2069 (Sackmann Hessenberg& Co 1850/60)
http://diglit.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/digl ... 8953cafc03

[cdc1962]

I'm used to seeing the crescent moon and 800 Germany stamps. This is the first time I've ever encountered this 13 mark. Thank you for the information.

[cdc1962]

Any ideas on the strange, squiggly mark I photographed (arrow pointing to this)? Do you think it might have been made by the silversmith, and have some significance? Maybe it is an old testing area?

[admin]

The zigzag is an assayer's test mark, you can read about them in this post.
viewtopic.php?t=6550

Regards, Tom

[blakstone]

Sackermann, Hessenberg & Co. was created in Frankfurt in 1845 with partners Johann Friedrich Hessenberg (1810-1874; Master 1834), Christoph Conrad Sackerman (1809-ca. 1871; Master 1842) and Johann Hermann Wirsing (1813-aft. 1875; Master 1836). The company was the successor to W. C. Hessenberg & Son, which Hessenberg had operated with his father Wilhelm Conrad Hessenberg (1775-1837; Master 1799). The firm became Hessenberg & Co. in 1866 and remained in business until at least the 1950’s.

Ref: Wolfgang Scheffler, Goldschmiede Hessens (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1976), pp. 356-359, maker #584b, mark #346.

[James de la Mare]

Just a bit of background info. to all this which won't be generally known. Friedrich Hessenberg was my gt.gt. grandfather. He was a notable geologist. The firm was in existence in Frankfurt for several generations, and the Hessenbergs were a well established Frankfurt family. Other family members included the mathematician Gerhard Hessenberg and the composer Kurt Hessenberg (also related to Dr Heinrich Hoffman who wrote the famous Struwelpeter childrens book), and more recently, Karin Hessenberg, the pottery author, and Ian Hessenberg, head of photography at Central & St Martins Sch. of Art, London. Friedrich Hessenberg's daughter married Heinrich Ihlee (from another well established Frankfurt family), who came to England and established the Jaeger shops and clothing business in London. Friedrich Hessenberg's wife was a Wirsing; the Wirsings had a goldsmith's business which amalgamated with Hessenberg, presumably at the time the firm was re-formed. The mother of the eminent German poet Rudolf Binding was of the Wirsing family, as was Binding's first wife (his cousin). The Hessenberg silver firm remained in business until the 1950s (at least, I visited the shop ca. 1956) but after the war when they'd lost everything by allied bombing, the firm was a mere shadow of its former self. As may be seen elsewhere, their usual marking on cutlery etc. was the firm's full name "Hessenberg" in a panel and the "800" signifying German silver.

[dognose]

Hi James,

Welcome to the Forum.

Many thanks for taking the time to post this information. It is much appreciated.

Regards Trev.

[Bahner]

Hello, according to my sources Hessenberg was founded by Carl Hessenberg (1736-1807) in 1768. In 1968 the company (or rather: what was left of it) celebrated its 200th anniversary. So it must have closed after that. In some sources 1736 is given as the founding date. I believe with "1736" someone erroneously took Hessenberg's year of birth for that of foundation. Best wishes, Bahner