G. Ligieri 14 Athens ?

[silverfan]

Hi all,
Nobody whom I asked could identify this spoon. It is silver. Maker G. Ligieri (nowhere found), 14 for 875/1000 silver, Athens ? Could it be Greek?
Regards silverfan

[silverfan]

No idea?
Regards silverfan

[Dendriet]

(Rosenberg)

[AG2012]

Hi,
Yes, Athens written in Greek, but how did you figure it out ``14`` stands for 875/1000 silver?
Regards

[silverfan]

Hi AG2012,
thanks for your quick reply; 14 = I simply translated Loth into the decimal system, without knowing if 14 means Loth. I thought I could date the spoon around 1850. Time of Otto, king of Greece, coming from Bavaria, so Loth appeared possible to me.
Regards silverfan

[silverfan]

Hi Dendriet,
thank you for your fast answer. If I understand right you found the copied text in Rosenberg Ausland.
Regards silverfan

[Bahner]

Hello, the 1884 "Handbook for travellers in Greece, inlcuding the Ionian Islands..." (published by John Murray, available online) lists under "Working Jewellers and Silversmiths" a Ligieri, r. d'Hermes (that is a street in Athens). No first name given. My guess - that's the one. Regards, Bahner

[dognose]

Image of the page Bahner refers too:



Trev.

[Dendriet]

Great Teamwork

[silverfan]

Thanks Bahner and dognose. Really good teamwork. Remains only the question, if 14 means really 14 Loth.
Regards silverfan

[Dendriet]

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

Therefore, this copy was posted from "Rosenberg"


Best regards

[AG2012]

Regarding ``14``, just crossed my mind. There is silver with Loth marks made by silversmiths who were apprentices in Austria-Hungary and then returned to their home countries in The Balkans and used Loth regardless of legislation ( if there was any legislation at all,Turkish tughra was just abandoned). Besides, they often imported cutlery from Austria-Hungary (making their own molds was too demanding task) and finished them to their own taste (e.g. inserted filigree).This is more likely than having German nobility on the throne.

[Dendriet]

Even simpler, who says that number 14 would have something to do with the word "Loth"?
It is nothing more than an assumption, there is no evidence that this is so.


Best Regards

[AG2012]

Right, nothing more than an assumption to have Loth silver purity in Greece.I have seen 13 Loth outside Austria- Hungary in neighboring countries after their liberation from Ottoman Empire when tughra was abandoned.But never on silver made in Greece,though.

[silverfan]

A today made accurate x-ray-test showed 86,4 % silver and 13 % copper. So my assumption 14 Loth seems to be right.
Regards silverfan