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I do not participate in discussion forum any more; I will probably not even read your comments. There is no point to communicate any more. In the meantime I have contacted the members of Bourbon family. The lady passed away more than two years ago. Just remember — there are two distinctive groups of...

French plate is often confused with Russian ``84`` hallmark. The number indicates the thickness of silver plating in microns — you can find several different numbers in one cutlery set (thicker silver plating where more wear is expected — e.g. spoons, lower number in items with less wear expected — ...

Dear Postnikov, Will you be so kind to explain the following statement of yours (from your reply): Quote: ``Russian cigarette- or cigar boxes in Trompe-l´oeil technique had always the optic of wooden original cigar boxes from Cuba (Havana), with customs/tax banderole! The only pattern with leather ...

In Postnikova, in the edition I have, page 205 or number 2125 there is Moscow assayer AA for АРЦИБАШЕВ АНАТОЛИИ АПОЛОНОВИЧ (1891- 1896). I thought about the first letter being A but the horizontal line is too low for a A and those two short vertical lines on which letter Ð...

https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.jpg https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.jpg Having seen so many faked hallmarks I wondered who made tools with fake hallmarks. Classical engraving in steel is very skilled and expensive process limited to very few masters who work with hunting rifle factories and s...

http://i55.tinypic.com/2pt9ugo.jpg http://i52.tinypic.com/9iznk6.jpg http://i55.tinypic.com/kapkyx.jpg http://i54.tinypic.com/142hesz.jpg http://i54.tinypic.com/jtqc0g.png A set of 6 skewers 16 cm long in the form of a sward (either for grilled meat or ``olive picks`` — less probable). Count’s crow...

http://i52.tinypic.com/dpih37.jpg http://i53.tinypic.com/2j79k8.jpg http://i55.tinypic.com/fyg5zs.jpg http://i51.tinypic.com/23o38w.jpg Trompe-l'œil jewelry box, engraved to resemble a snake- skin casket.The master`s mark is most probably ДЕ (the horizontal line is to low to be ``A`` and besides...

Can you see the traces of file — original hallmarks were removed and Russian hallmarks struck over? The scratches are too deep to be attributed to cleaning. Once again, only hallmarks are given, the easiest way to make a mistake — even with the picture, sometimes it is difficult to identify a genuin...

We will never know the maker. 13 means either Austria and Germany. A ``zigzag line`` is the place from where a sample of silver was taken by the assayer to measure the purity. `` 13 `` is poorly struck. Many fakes are seen with this ``sample`` zigzag chiseled - off line. It would indicate 18th centu...

Hello dear Postnikov, Excellent pieces! My humble opinion is that the lack of maker’s hallmarks can be attributed to the fact that most of those cigarette holders were made in The Don Region, Caucasus, and Altai. I also think that assayers were not too strict with them — not every silversmith was ri...

Regarding the brooch — pendant I am aware of the fact that such items should have been fully hallmarked. I am not sure if the initials beside 56 are assayer’s ИЛ or maker`s hallmark. You must have seen not important Russian silver not fully hallmarked. It did happen in UK and let alone in Russia (...

Additional information:
The shape of the hallmark changed in 1814. The difference is clearly seen.
The hallmark of silversmiths appointed to the Habsburg court.
Ivan

It is loth 13 - not clearly seen, but such exquisite pitcher (I suppose it is very heavy) was not made in lower purity i.e.loth 12 . I have seen loth 12 only in provincial Austrian silver. Besides, although I cannot tell the maker — there is an additional hallmark : IMPERIAL HABSBURG EAGLE, meaning ...

IT IS .585 GOLD (56 RUSSIAN) NOT SILVER !

Russian brooch — pendant (hallmarked only 56 ИЛ — Ivan Lebedkin, Moscow, no makers mark). Made to be worn both as a pendant (vertical bar on the back) and a brooch. Is it common for Russian jewelry to have no makers mark? Light green stones with minor impurities, commonly seen in emeralds (perfect...

It is ``gold wash``, meaning very thin layer of gold over silver. In time it tarnishes.Do not try to use any abrasive to clean it, use dip solutions.

Unfortunately, there are too many Nuernberg hallmarks on items made in the beginning of 20th century. (See Hanau hallmarks). The market demanded ``Historismus`` silver.Naturally, Augsburg and Nuernberg hallmarks were commonly used. I have seen two identical cups in Vienna offered in two different an...

It’s OK, Trev. It does look like a bottle. I inspected it with 10 X magnifying glass — it may be something else as well — sheaf, bundle — it has several longitudinal lines and bands over them — not a common symbol in heraldry, I admit. It is hand engraved , rather small and an excellent work I dare ...

I have discovered this post just now. It is highly inappropriate to compare Rasmus Jorgensen Brock and Sigvaard Bernadotte for Georg Jensen (if that was ment by posting their cutlery side by side).The beauty of design has no similarity, whatsoever. Bernadotte was the son of Gustav Adolf VI, king of ...

Looks like European box. I cannot tell from the photos if the lid is engraved. Use 10 X magnifying glass and search if it is engraved (there is no mistake about it — the traces of the chisel cannot be confused with casting). The quality of gilded center cartouche is suspicious being probably sand ca...