Looking for an ID for this maker

[sanbil]

Hi, I am looking for assistance in identifying a mark on a pair of salt and pepper shakers I have owned for years. There is a lion on the bottom, on the top under the cap there is a Z and what looks like initials CP or CD, I can't quite make it out..I read that the Z might mean a date?..and the intials would be the maker, but I can't seem to find a maker with those initials anywhere..any assistance would be appreciated. I am not even sure they are dutch..could be english...Thank you.

http://www.kountrylights.com/images/saltpepper2.jpg

[oel]

Hi Sanbil welcome to the forum, are those the only marks? Indeed the Z looks like the Dutch date letter for the year 1909. Could you show us an image of the lion and please check if you could find a Minerva head.
See: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32028

Oel.

[sanbil]

I tried to take a pic of the lion, but my camera isn't quite strong enough to get a really good one..but here is the best I can get..the lion is on the bottom and it is standing facing right with one foot extended forward..like the Lion Passant II on the hallmarks page in this forum..I can't find any other marks, don't see a minerva head anywhere..but there is some numbers and letters etched into the surface on the bottom..one of them is n4436 , its on both, there are a couple others I can't make out..thanks for your help. http://www.kountrylights.com/images/saltpepper6.jpg

http://www.kountrylights.com/images/saltpepper7.jpg

[oel]

Hi,

Yes, I am convinced it is Dutch silver, lion passant above 2; standard mark for 83.3% pure silver. The Marks are spread over the shaker a common practice from 1814 till 1953, the Minerva head will be on the shaker but perhaps lost in the decoration.
The maker’s mark could be GD or GP; however the mark is too far gone and malformed for a positive ID and only up for guesses, perhaps at the other shaker the maker’s mark looks any better? If not I am afraid we will not be able to identify the maker.

Oel.

[sanbil]

Hi Oel, well I studied it with a 60x loupe and found that the CP is actually a GP, I can see that now on the other it is alittle more pronounced, and I am so happy you told me to look for the minerva in the design, because lo and behold there it was on the cap above the bottom edge design! The letter on the helmet is an M. I think we are getting somewhere?..so the Assay office would have been Schoonhoven
..now just need to find out the maker GP?

[oel]

Date letter for the year 1909 and regional assay office: M for Schoonhoven.
OK, well done got him, the mark reads; G.P. in rectangle for; Gerrit de Pleijt, registered in the city of Schoonhoven from 1875 till around 1914.


Best,

Oel.

[sanbil]

Wonderful! Thank you so much!..What a thrill to finally know so much more about this piece..I really appreciate your assistance..this is such a wonderful forum, I have learned so much about silver here..and will reference it often in my research on silver marks.
Regards,
Sandra