Bracia Hempel Sugar and Creamer Set

[neurorocker]

I recently recovered a large and heavy (800 grams) creamer and sugar set. The pieces are cast with applied cast feet and handles. There is a join line showing that the pitcher was cast in two pieces and the pitcher only has many hammer marks on the interior. There is no silver purity mark on these-- only what I believe is a "Br. Hempel" mark alongside their crescent moon and three stars mark. It's not certain, but the hallmarks do not appear to be stamped and are possibly part of the casting itself. The hallmarks are possibly cited but not shown in the reference thread below.

1. Is this likely to be solid silver or plate? The factory apparently made both. A quick file on the bottom of the foot makes them seem solid, but can't say for certain yet.
2. Why would the hallmarks be cast instead of struck? Was this common in Warsaw silver production?
3. Approximate date? I'm guessing 1895-1920 based on the reference link.

Reference Thread:
http://925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47650

[Goldstein]

Hi neurorocker -



Regards
Goldstein

[AG2012]

Hi,
Test it for silver.Absence of official hallmarks with fineness (either Russian or Polish) indicates silver plating.

Regards

[neurorocker]

Thank you for the replies! I too thought this should be tested in the absence of purity marks. I took it to a professional today and they subjected it to XRF and it measured at around 93% silver. It is a busy piece, so it's possible I've missed purity marks somehow, but I don't believe so. So, for at least some period of time the Hempel Bros. factory was probably making solid silver without a purity marking. I'm really not certain what was happening with silver marking in Warsaw during the post Mayor Sokrates Starynkiewicz (1875–92) period when I believe this was made (1894-1914?). Seems like it was a complicated moment in history.

[AG2012]

Hi,
Good news (solid solver) !
Absence of hallmarks is curious, but after all it`s a myth everything was done by the book.
Google for tax evasion (staggering current statistics). Was the world better and more honest place 100 years ago ? No way. Strict legislation etc.is a joke.
Enjoy your silver.
Regards

[AG2012]

Btw. I think even approximate dating is impossible. Circumstantial evidence but not evidence based.

[Italiansilver]

I took it to a professional today and they subjected it to XRF and it measured at around 93% silver. It is a busy piece, so it's possible I've missed purity marks somehow, but I don't believe so.

Hi
I think it is not the appropriate method...because it tests only surface, not the inner.

[neurorocker]

Before XRF, I filed the bottom of the foot and did not hit base metal. And then I acid tested it. Seems to be solid silver. I'm not aware of any other methods I could use to confirm.

[AG2012]

The only foolproof method for correctly determining the silver content of silver-plated or blanched silver/copper alloys is to test the base material directly, for example, by grinding or sawing down into it, since non-destructive standard analysis with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) shows erroneously high silver content due to the increased concentrations at the surface.

Using a measuring application which looks for a silver coating atop a silver/copper alloy, advanced X-ray fluorescence instruments allow for the non-destructive determination of both the thickness of the silver coating as well as the fineness of the base material.

[AG2012]

Btw. if you filed deep enough and cleaned residual particles (dust) and acid tested that`s good enough.

[Italiansilver]

Before XRF, I filed the bottom of the foot and did not hit base metal. And then I acid tested it. Seems to be solid silver. I'm not aware of any other methods I could use to confirm.

Ah ok
if you scratched the metal and then you tested with acid is ok
I was referring to XRF that only analyze the surface