Belgian Hallmarks

[Dendriet]

16 spoons and forks, all with the same hallmarks, silversmith and monogram.
Mark (hand) has a letter D.

Could anyone please kindly help me by identifying these hallmarks?
Thanks a lot in advance for your replies.

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

I can't help much but these are import marks used between 1814 and 1831.

Trev.

[blakstone]

No, these are not import marks. They are official assay marks used in the Southern Netherlands (a region which included modern Belgium, Luxembourg and the city of Maastricht) from 1815 until 1832 in Belgium and 1842 in Luxembourg and Maastricht.

The “hand and rod” was the assay office guarantee mark for large silver articles, with the letter “D” the code for the assay office in Liège/Luik. The “2” flanked by laurel branches was the mark for the second standard silver of .833.

Unfortunately, the maker’s mark “MJ” with an animal’s head is not recorded. However the only maker known at the time with these initials was Nicolas Mathieu Jeanne (1784-1848), known as Mathieu Jeanne, and who registered a mark “MI” in a lozenge around 1808, when the region was part of the French Empire. The insignia of his shop at 984 rue Neuvice was “the black (later golden) sheep” [mouton noir (d’or)], and the animal’s head here may well be a sheep’s. If so, this is very likely a later mark used by Jeanne, who was working until at least 1842, or perhaps that of his son Jean Mathieu, a silversmith who worked in his father’s shop along with brothers Jean Etienne (silversmith), Edouard (engraver) and Joseph (jeweler).

Hope this helps!

Ref:

Walter Van Dievoet, Geschiedenis En De Officiele Merken Van De Keurkamers Voor De Waarborg Van Goud En Zilver En Belgie Van 1794 Tot Nu (Brussels: Gemeentekrediet van Belgie, 1980), p. 118, mark #5, p. 120, mark #4, & p. 205, table G.

Walter Van Dievoet, Orfèvres de Liège du XIX Siècle (Louvain: Walter Van Dievoet, 2006), p. 59, maker #82

[dognose]

Ah....

Many thanks for the correction blakstone,

I read this:



But, I should have read this:



I should have known, I have an London spoon with the extra 'E' with the laurel wreath contained in an oval.

Dendriet, would it be possible for you to capture some sharper images of these marks for the encyclopedia?

Regards, Trev.

[Dendriet]

Blakstone and Dognose, thanks for the very quick response.
This is a known issue with Belgian silversmiths ;)
But with these data a new chance to succeed, to find the right silversmith.
All further information are welcome.
If I've found more information, I will post it here.
Again many thanks for the effort.

Dendriet

[oel]

Hi All,

Sorry perhaps like mustard after the meal; Marks of the Southern Netherlands 1814-1842. These marks have been used in the present Belgium until March 1st 1832, in the assay offices Maastricht and Luxemburg until March 1st 1842 and in the Roermond office until March the 1st 1832 and afterwards again from 1839 until 1842. Date letters have not been used.
Looking at your image 1st mark; Office mark for large & medium silver with the identification letter O for the assay office of Roermond ( A= Brussels), 2nd mark; the maker’s mark and in accordance of the ‘new law’ during 1814-1853, to abandon the use of the French lozenge used 1798-1814, in a perfect square. Unfortunately this particular maker’s mark is not registered in the book ‘Netherlands Responsibility marks from 1797’ and the 3rd and last mark; the 2nd standard mark for large and medium work .833 fineness, this mark comes always in combination with the office mark.
(Admin edit)








Oel

[Dendriet]

@Oel

Thanks for your support.
These spoons / forks were bought in Liege
Attached is a clearer picture of the guarantee institution guarantee mark "hand and rod" with the letter D.
Also a clearer picture of the silversmith "MJ" with an animal head.
And indeed I had also looked at the (3) books ‘Netherlands Responsibility marks from 1797’ for the same reasons. ;)
Again many thanks for the effort.
But....... We shall overcome :D
I'll let you know if I found something

Dendriet

[Dendriet]

Dendriet, would it be possible for you to capture some sharper images of these marks for the encyclopedia?

Regards, Trev.

Dognose Sorry, I read this too late.
I will get better photos with a better macro mode.
Please be patient because I get a lot of family visits.
Is it okay if I do that on Monday ?
Because I have Monday a lot of time to do this.

Dendriet

[oel]

Hi,

Thanks, take your time no rush and indeed clearly a D which indicates regional assay office Luik (Liège) 1815-1869

Netherlands’Responsibility Marks from 1797 Part 1 page 85
Oel

[Theoderich]

there is 'E' with the laurel wreath

[Dendriet]

Yesterday I searched for addresses on the rue Neuvice.
But apparently no longer exists..
With my nose in old books checked on the Internet.
This is the result

Here are the names of the Bijoutiers, Joailliers (0rfèvres) Liege in 1840.
The streetname rue Neuvice was changed to "en Neuvice" and still exists.




Dendriet

[Dendriet]

@Dognose

The last and missing clear picture.

[dognose]

Hi Dendriet,

Many thanks for the images.

Regards, Trev.