Hallmarks on 19th century silver snuffbox

DonnaL · Post by **DonnaL** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:30 am

I have a 19th century silver snuffbox which I know to be German. It's 85 mm wide, 42 mm deep, and 29 mm high, and has the family name "Mosevius" engraved on the lid:

It was given to me by my grandfather, who brought it with him when he emigrated to the U.S. from Berlin in 1941. The family tradition, according to what was told to him as a child in the late 1890's, was that it had belonged to his own great-grandfather, Moses Mosevius (who was born in Polzin, Pomerania in 1779 and died in Stolp, Pomerania in 1863; he adopted the surname Mosevius in 1812.) The family moved to Berlin in about 1877.

There are two hallmarks on the inside of the lid. One appears to be a shield with what looks like it might be a "B" above it, the numbers 1 and 3 (presumably the "loth" mark) inside it, and the numbers 8 and 5 to the right:

The other is much more difficult to see, but looks like a letter (an "R"?) with what looks like a cross to the left of it.

Any information anyone might have on what the origin or approximate date of the box might be, would be greatly appreciated. I am not a silver collector; I just happen to have this box as something that's been in my family for a very long time.

Thank you for help.

Donna Mosevius Levinsohn
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DonnaL · Post by **DonnaL** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:33 am

Sorry, the second image doesn't seem to be working; let me try again:

larkfield · Post by **larkfield** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:23 am

This may be of help - I believe your shield mark is former Austro-Hungarian mark for period 1825 - 1866. If so the B is Prague, and as you said the 13 is lots ie 812.5 silver. The shield is incomplete, there should be 2 more numbers on the left hand side to match the 8 5, the top one should be a 1 whilst the bottom one will be between 2 and 6 to provide the year 18?5. Closer look you may be able to pick up an outline, particularly for the bottom number .

DonnaL · Post by **DonnaL** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:43 pm

Thanks so much. It never occurred to me that the box could have been made anywhere but Germany. But I looked up some photos of Austro-Hungarian hallmarks, and this one looks exactly like them, so you're obviously correct that the box was made in Prague, as the "B" indicates. If anyone has any ideas about the other mark, please let me know.

Unfortunately, although I'll take another look under magnification, the left side of the shield appears to be worn completely smooth, so I imagine I'll never know exactly what year the box was made -- although my guess, from what I was told by my grandfather, would be sometime between the 1820's and 1850's.

How my great-great-great-grandfather, who was a "kaufman" in Pomerania his whole life, ended up with an engraved silver snuffbox made in Prague, is something I guess I'll also never know!

Donna