Help Identitfying hallmark on a Candlestick

[kevalie]

Hi wondering if someone here can help me identify the hallmark on a candlestick, I believe its European but couldn't find anything on it.

[oel]

Hi,



The third mark: Austria-Hungary 19th Century before 1866. A= city mark for Vienna
See: http://www.925-1000.com/foreign_marks.html"
Oel

[joris]

It's a bit difficult to determine whether the maker's mark is ES or FS; FS would be Franz Schiffer, and ES his son Eduard. Both of them were k.k. Hof-Gold-und Silberarbeiter (and they worked together for a few years as Franz Schiffer & Sohn). Franz was active through 1854, and Eduard alone until 1858, when he became a partner with Thomas Dub for two years; in 1860 he again was active under his own name, formed another partnership in 1863, and so forth. The shape of the Doppeladler mark (indicating that the maker was purveyor to the court) looks to me to be that of Franz (although Eduard had a similar one in his later partnership), as do the rounded corners of the maker's mark (which should have a dot between the F and the S, and may be rubbed away on your candleholder).
Perhaps you can decipher the lower half of the date on the assay mark, which would be fairly definitive (either before 1855 or not.)