Dutch Spoon by SBL

[TheSandDancer]

Bought this silver spoon hallmarked Samuel Boyce Landeck dated 1897. The second pic from the bottom with the lion rampant above a key indicates it is 934 silver that was exported. The one at the bottom is the sword mark but the one next to it I am unclear. That is all I know. Any help would be immense.




Thanks.

[oel]

Hi,

Dutch sugar sifter spoon exported to the UK, maker’s mark R 133 in a rectangle in wing of mill together with sword mark or standard mark for small work or attached work minimum 833 fineness (or higher .934) and in the bowl maker’s mark R 133 in a square both are for: Cornelis Rietveld registered in Schoonhoven from 1865 till 1912, Dutch date letter N (Gothic) for; 1897



Oel.

[TheSandDancer]

Hi,

Dutch sugar sifter spoon exported to the UK, maker’s mark R 133 in a rectangle in wing of mill together with sword mark or standard mark for small work or attached work minimum 833 fineness (or higher .934) and in the bowl maker’s mark R 133 in a square both are for: Cornelis Rietveld registered in Schoonhoven from 1865 till 1912, Dutch date letter N (Gothic) for; 1897



Oel.

Wow! Thanks. I have Dutch blood in me. My Grandfather (mothers father) was Dutch. He was in the Dutch Royal Navy during WWII. He lived in The Hague which is not far from Schoonhoven. Other side of Rotterdam which I have been to when I stayed with my late Grandfather in 1992. I have nieces in Ijmuiden and relatives in Den Helder. I have been to Scheveningen also which is on the coast.

So what is the difference between the R133 in wing of windmill and the R133 in the bowl? Why is the makers mark in a rectangle in the mill and in a square in the bowl of spoon?

Also where did you find the Dutch date letter?

[oel]

The silver coin Saxony-Albertine, with portrait of Johann Georg I (1615-1656) reign period during the Thirty Year’s War (1618-1648)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Years'_War
I believe your sugar sifter spoon has a print of this coin, please check the back of your 'coin' to make sure.

The hallmarks are spread over the spoon, a common practice from 1814 till 1953, to prevent fraud.
Check your fifth image; I believe it shows the date-letter N just above the lion rampant.
The maker’s mark in rectangle and square or both registered under the silversmith’s name and were used by the silversmith as he thought fit, perhaps for convenience; the rectangle one for small object and the square for big objects.

Oel.

[TheSandDancer]

I think I am getting a bit bogged down in the marks Oel. So the sword mark denotes quality to be the very minimum of .833 and the lion rampant seen in the bottom pic means it is the very best quality of silver/highest content of silver which is .934? Am I correct?

Also does the presence of the key beneath the lion denote that it was designated for export? I see there is an F next to the mark for SBL. Does that mean the same thing?

[dognose]

The 'F' contained within the Sheffield hallmarks indicates foreign manufacture.

See: http://www.925-1000.com/importmarks.html

Trev.

[oel]

Correct, all answers on your questions can be found here, including an explanation:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32028

Oel.