One of them carries the maker's mark Walcher and a mark for 13-lotig silver. The other is only marked with a maker's mark of CP.
Please can someone tell me who the makers are and where the spoons were made?
Walcher on silver tablespoon
Walcher on silver tablespoon
These two silver tablespoons are identical in design, and they also carry the same inscribed monogram, so they most probably originate from the same area.
One of them carries the maker's mark Walcher and a mark for 13-lotig silver. The other is only marked with a maker's mark of CP.
Please can someone tell me who the makers are and where the spoons were made?
One of them carries the maker's mark Walcher and a mark for 13-lotig silver. The other is only marked with a maker's mark of CP.
Please can someone tell me who the makers are and where the spoons were made?
Dear Sebastian
the spoons are from Switzerland. CP. is Carl Pfenninger, *1821, +1891, from Thun (Canton Berne), since 1855 in Zurich.
CP with a dot is the mark from the Thun or early Zurich period. In later marks the CP had no more dot. So approximately 1855-1860.
Walcher is Issak Walcher, *1812, +1874, active in Zurich since 1842.
All the best
Jörg
the spoons are from Switzerland. CP. is Carl Pfenninger, *1821, +1891, from Thun (Canton Berne), since 1855 in Zurich.
CP with a dot is the mark from the Thun or early Zurich period. In later marks the CP had no more dot. So approximately 1855-1860.
Walcher is Issak Walcher, *1812, +1874, active in Zurich since 1842.
All the best
Jörg
Thank you for all that information on these two Swiss silversmiths, very interesting. I've been looking in the wrong places for these marks, and it shows how useful this forum is.
The spoons by Carl Pfenninger don't carry an assay mark. Was just the maker's mark sufficient guarantee of fineness in mid-19th century Switzerland?
The spoons by Carl Pfenninger don't carry an assay mark. Was just the maker's mark sufficient guarantee of fineness in mid-19th century Switzerland?
Dear Sebastian
To answer your question: "Was just the maker's mark sufficient guarantee of fineness in mid-19th century Switzerland?"
In very short: yes!
A little longer: There is not yet a lot done concerning 19th century Swiss silver. An exception is the cataloge "Weltliches Silber" from the Swiss national museum. But a few sentences can enlight the situation a bit.
Until the end of the old Swiss Confederation in 1798 all major cities hat very strong guilds. All cities hat a system established to identify the silver and to maintain quality/silver standards. This was usually organized by the guilds, not by the city authorities. Of course this led to many various systems.
In the Napoleonic area the power of the guilds was reduced, and after the restoration of the old order after 1815 they never managed to regain the authority again. Marking systems with at least the manufactures mark and a city mark continued, but it was more a tradition, no law was enforcing the system.
The final decline of the guilds and the regulations was in the 1830ies. The trade was freed and a lot of new silversmith started production.
Before 1830 most silver bears a city mark, which is somehow a guarantee. But the silversmith punched it himself. After 1830/1840 we find a lot of silver only bearing the manufacturer mark. A "13" mark or a city mark are rare. Around 1850 about half of the silver has a fineness mark, usually "13", later "750" or "800". After 1870 virtually all silver bears a fineness mark.
We can conclude we observe a market driven situation. In the 1830 the customers still had the guarantee of a controlled system, later in the 1840ies and 1850ies they had to trust the silversmith. It seems the German example of marking the fineness raised a similar demand in Switzerland.
In 1882 a uniform guarantee system was establised, the grouse mark. But this was not enforced. It seem that the markings in Switzerland after 1840 were mainly a result of the requests from the customers.
Hope that helps
Jörg
To answer your question: "Was just the maker's mark sufficient guarantee of fineness in mid-19th century Switzerland?"
In very short: yes!
A little longer: There is not yet a lot done concerning 19th century Swiss silver. An exception is the cataloge "Weltliches Silber" from the Swiss national museum. But a few sentences can enlight the situation a bit.
Until the end of the old Swiss Confederation in 1798 all major cities hat very strong guilds. All cities hat a system established to identify the silver and to maintain quality/silver standards. This was usually organized by the guilds, not by the city authorities. Of course this led to many various systems.
In the Napoleonic area the power of the guilds was reduced, and after the restoration of the old order after 1815 they never managed to regain the authority again. Marking systems with at least the manufactures mark and a city mark continued, but it was more a tradition, no law was enforcing the system.
The final decline of the guilds and the regulations was in the 1830ies. The trade was freed and a lot of new silversmith started production.
Before 1830 most silver bears a city mark, which is somehow a guarantee. But the silversmith punched it himself. After 1830/1840 we find a lot of silver only bearing the manufacturer mark. A "13" mark or a city mark are rare. Around 1850 about half of the silver has a fineness mark, usually "13", later "750" or "800". After 1870 virtually all silver bears a fineness mark.
We can conclude we observe a market driven situation. In the 1830 the customers still had the guarantee of a controlled system, later in the 1840ies and 1850ies they had to trust the silversmith. It seems the German example of marking the fineness raised a similar demand in Switzerland.
In 1882 a uniform guarantee system was establised, the grouse mark. But this was not enforced. It seem that the markings in Switzerland after 1840 were mainly a result of the requests from the customers.
Hope that helps
Jörg
The only thing I can add to Joerg's excellent précis is that there were two Swiss cantons which established civil regulation and marking of precious metals between the fall of Napoleon (1815) and the establishment of national hallmarking (1882): Geneva & Neuchâtel. Only these two cantons required that all gold or silver produced in them meet certain fineness standards established by the canton, and be tested and marked by a canton-controlled assay office. (The two cantons had different standards and marks, of course, as each was a distinct state.)
That is really interesting - the way silver was marked in 19th century Switzerland was different for different periods and different regions.
Also something to always keep in mind: that an item with a single mark on it could be from Switzerland.
Thanks for your brilliant help with these Zurich spoons from 1850-1860 by Carl Pfenninger and Issak Walcher.
Best regards
Also something to always keep in mind: that an item with a single mark on it could be from Switzerland.
Thanks for your brilliant help with these Zurich spoons from 1850-1860 by Carl Pfenninger and Issak Walcher.
Best regards
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests