www.925-1000.com

@JayT Thanks for your help with this cup! Sadly, the two pix I posted were the best I could summon out of the cups I had; it may be my poor photography skills but I suspect the more likely trouble is the heavy use and polishing/cleaning these cups have sustained over the years.

Best pic I was able to take of maker’s mark: https://i.postimg.cc/vZ0mStnd/IMG-2288.jpg I know the other pieces from this estate and they are mostly European with some older Russian pieces. Also, I found a similar piece (same pattern) on an online site, which listed it as French. And I was confusing...

I have four of these silver “shot cups” weighing about 10 grams each. I am certain they are well over 50 years old, likely over 100 years old. In my research I have found “shot cups” with a very similar pattern, but what appears to be a different hallmark. I suspect these are European, though they m...

Thank you, AG2012! Naively I would say the key difference apparent to me is that the 800 mark has rounded sides while the 950 mark is octagonal with straight sides. Is that in fact the key distinction? Or is there something I should be looking at in the Minerva image itself? Please forgive my novice...

This piece bears a Queille hallmark. I'm looking for help from someone with experience reading 19thC French purity marks. Looks like 950 silver Minerva in an octagonal punch to me, but I am overwhelmed by the subtleties and thought I'd reach out. I'm hoping that this one photo will suffice, and I'm ...

Thank you to dognose and JayT for your invaluable help!

MORE PIX:

Regarding the octagonal punch on the left--only photo #2 is clear--it appears to me upon further study (with much help from the lead from dognose) that it is a Mercury mark, though I'm not sure what purity it indicates. Again, thanks for any and all help!

Thank you so much! Certainly does appear to be the Queillé mark, not sure how this meshes with Ramu Dufour, but quite a jump start. Any thoughts on relating the shape of the oar to the date of the mark?

I'm naively assuming the octagonal mark to the left is a purity mark.

I have attached photos of spoons and forks which I am quite certain are pieces by Ramu Dufour. This explains the "RAMU" mark found to the far right in each photo. But I am still trying to decode the other two marks. The mark in the center appears to be a diamond shape enclosing a letter &q...