Sugar box

[Vlad]

Hello,

This is a candy box, or a sugar box, maybe French?
I see the Minerve head and the mark MG.
What silvermaker could it be? And what period?

Best,
Vlad

[Vlad]

This is a close view:

[Aguest]

:::: The "Diana's Head" hallmark for Austria (Austro-Hungarian Empire) and if you go to the "World Hallmarks" section and look under "Austria" there are two marks for the Diana's Head used to indicate 800/1000 silver purity standard, one was used from 1867-1872 and the other was used from 1872-1922, they are both so similar such that I have never been able to tell the difference (the angle of the nose on Diana is different? Seriously, how can anyone tell these marks apart?) so that's a good place to start, and since you have the object in hand you would have the best chance of comparing your hallmark to the 2 hallmarks listed in the Austria section of the World Hallmarks. ::::::

:::: There were a few silversmiths with the initials MG working during the time when both these 800/1000 silver purity standard hallmarks were in use. :::::

::::: Wish I could be more help, check out how similar those 2 hallmarks are for 800/1000 silver, they look very similar ::::::

[Vlad]

Thank you so much, Aguest! I think it is the second hallmark, used from 1872-1922.
But how to guess the silver maker?

Vlad

[Aguest]

::::: If there is a letter added to the right of the Diana Head, that indicates 1872-1922 and that letter indicates the city where the silver was assayed. :::: I can't tell if there is a letter there or not, the picture is slightly blurry, but apparently the addition of that letter is the only difference between the two 800/1000 silver hallmarks. ::::::
::::: I think your hallmark does have a letter to the right of the Diana Head, but you would have the best view with the object in hand. ::::::

[Aguest]

::::: Even the big auction houses don't specify who is the maker, they don't seem to know who is the maker MG, there are quite a few candidates with the initials MG working during this time, so at this point I really am not sure. :::::

::::: If your MG is the same maker as the objects recorded by these big auction houses, MG was a very good silversmith and the work is above-average quality, that's about all I can say, and since there were quite a few makers with MG initials I'm not sure how to narrow down the candidates, and even the big auction houses seem unsure of how to select a candidate. ::::

[huszas76]

Max Gedlitzka.
Best regards!
Krisztián

[Vlad]

Thank you very much, Krisztián!

Best wishes,
Vlad