Dating French Silver

[Pooka]

Hi,

I've been researching a French spoon I bought recently and have come to a conclusion that it is impossible to actually find a specific year of manufacture for most French silver items. Is this correct? I only found my spoon, made by Albert Deflon, could have been made between the dates of 1907-1920, when he was an active silversmith in Paris. I find this unusual for such a complicated system of hallmarking to ignore this feature of accurate dating. Or am I missing something?

Thanks,

Greg.

[Aguest]

I have researched a few French items and found that you are correct. In France there were certain symbols used for a few decades, and then they change the symbols. Thus, my sugar tongs could only be said to have been made at some year between 1789 and 1809 based on two specific symbols. Similarly my French Spoon could only be dated to some year between 1819 and 1838.

The United Kingdom has a much more accurate way of determining the exact year, probably they have the best system in the world for the last 4 centuries. It would be nice if all countries could have a letter that signifies the date of manufacture, but different traditions exist in each country for marking silver.

[Pooka]

Thanks for the quick reply! I am happy now that I didn't miss something : )!

[oel]

Hi,

The purpose of a date letter is not to indicate the year a silver item has been made. The date letter; to indicate the year a silver item has been assayed and which assayer has been responsible. Date letter together with the assay office mark/city mark and the assay office records are used to identify the responsible assayer (main duty assayer). You could say a date letter is the duty assayer's responsibility mark.

Oel.

[Pooka]

Thankyou for your interesting post Oel. It would I guess be very in depth research to actually trace the actual assayers for any silver item but I'm usually happy with a date, a place and a maker : )! Does anyone actually trace the assayers of their items? If so, are there any rare assayers?! Gosh, this is new for me!

Greg.

[oel]

Date letter, the alphabetical punch mark placed on pieces of English & Dutch silver to show the year in which they are assayed. The name of the assayer is not important when date letters are used. In the Netherlands until 1931 the assayers were personally liable for mistakes in the result of their work. Until 1931 date letters were considered to be their responsibility marks.

Oel.