This French spoon is extremely clearly marked and whilst I've had some success using Tardy and the 925-1000 encyclopedia, I still need help! For a start I'm not sure if this is a Besançon spoon or from nearby Dole, I have no idea who the maker is and the exact date is a little confusing to me. Was it made in Dole but legally required to be assayed in Besançon (1783) as it had jurisdiction over Dole and and then had to be stamped with the Dole city mark some time later (1784)?
Breaking it down:
1. Mirrored C below a crown for Besançon (Tardy 5th ed. pg 144);
2. Maker’s mark which appears to be a J above a demi-lion above a sunburst above 'AS'.
3. Besançon mark for 1783 (Tardy 5th ed. pg 144);
4. Dole mark for 1784 (925-1000 encyclopedia). I note from Wikipedia, that Dole had just 9,000 inhabitants 9 years later!
Then there is the crest. This appears to have some religious connotations with reference easily found on-line to it being the symbol for the Charitas Order of Francis of Paola. Did this spoon belong to a rich religious French order or perhaps a religious family who adopted the symbol as their crest, or something else? I'm satisfied that the crest is contemporary with the manufacture of the spoon.
As always, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Silverk.
Ad blocker detected: Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.
Besançon spoon - Maker and Crest?
PHOTOS REQUIRED - marks + item
Jump to
- The Silver Marks Forum ~ Requirements & Tutorials
- ↳ Posting Requirements
- Announcements
- ↳ Website Updates & Announcements
- American Sterling & Coin Silver - (no silverplate, jewelry or watches)
- ↳ Sterling Manufacturers ~ American after-1860
- ↳ Coin Silversmiths ~ American pre-1860
- ↳ Arts & Crafts Smiths ~ American Handwrought after-1900
- ↳ American Sterling & Coin Silver - Single Image
- British Hallmarks - (no silverplate, jewelry or watches)
- ↳ London Hallmarks
- ↳ Birmingham Hallmarks
- ↳ Chester Hallmarks
- ↳ Exeter Hallmarks
- ↳ Newcastle Hallmarks
- ↳ Sheffield Hallmarks
- ↳ York Hallmarks
- ↳ Scottish Hallmarks
- ↳ Irish Hallmarks
- ↳ Provincial & Colonial Marks
- ↳ Grimwade's Biographies ~ Updates
- ↳ London Lost Registers & Unrecorded Marks
- ↳ British Hallmarks - Single Image
- European Silver - (no silverplate, jewelry or watches)
- ↳ Dutch Silver
- ↳ French Silver
- ↳ German Silver
- ↳ Russian Silver
- ↳ Scandinavian Silver
- ↳ Other Countries
- ↳ German, French, Dutch, Russian, Scandinavian or Other - Single Image
- Silverplated Ware
- ↳ Silverplate Trademarks - Worldwide
- ↳ Silver Plate Trademarks - Single Image
- Silver Jewelry & Watches
- ↳ American Jewelry
- ↳ European Jewelry
- ↳ Other Jewelry
- ↳ Silver Jewelry - Single Image
- Silver of the Americas
- ↳ Mexican Silversmiths
- ↳ Central & South America
- ↳ Native American Silver
- ↳ Silver of the Americas - Single Image
- Asian & Middle Eastern Silver
- ↳ Middle East
- ↳ Far East
- ↳ Asia & Middle East - Single Image
- Gold Marks
- ↳ Gold Marks - Worldwide
- ↳ Gold - Single Image
- Miscellaneous Silver Subjects
- ↳ General Questions
- ↳ Contributors' Notes
- ↳ Ephemera
- ↳ Silver Care / Techniques
- ↳ Mystery Objects
- ↳ Flatware Pattern Identification
- ↳ Family Crests
- ↳ Museum Exhibitions - Silver - Temporary
- ↳ Museum Exhibitions - Silver - Permanent