French maker's mark 1809-1819

[shikiamondo]

Hi all,

There are these maker's marks on a snuff box, which also has a French assay mark indicating it was made during 1809-1819. I have tried the database on Ministère de la Culture's website but it seems they only have marks that were registered later in the 19th century. It is very difficult to get hold of a copy of Arminjon's reference books, so trying my luck here if anyone could be very helpful and identify these marks!

many thanks

[JayT]

Hello
Your box was made by Nicolas Lecoufle, maker of boxes and small objects in gold and silverplate, working in Paris at 242 rue St-Denis. He registered marks in 1809, 1811-1812, and 12 December 1823, erased 1 September 1831. He died 31 July 1830.

Lecoufle’s widow, Catherine-Marie-Flor Torlet carried on the business at the same address, registering her mark 7 September 1831, erased 3 March 1837.

You also have the mark of L.A.B. Baudin, registered in 1810. Arminjon lists him twice, the second time as a silverplater, registered in 1811-1812, with little information, not even an address, so it is unclear what relationship he had to Lecoufle either in terms of family ties or production.

See Arminjon, v. I, no. 02750, p. 275 and no. 0738, p. 107 for Lecoufle and Torlet, and no. 02208, p. 230 and no. 02233, p. 232 for Baudin.

FYI, the Ministry of Culture website is v. III of Arminjon for marks registered after 1878.

Regards.

[shikiamondo]

Thank you very much for your kindness, that is very informative.

I have done some further research on these two and found the "Bulletin of the laws of the French Republic 1817" on Google Books:

10.o Les S. Lecoufle et Baudin, bijoutiers, demeurant à Paris, rue Saint-Denis, n.o 242, auxquels il a été délivré, le 17 mai dernier, l'attestation de leur demande d'un certificat d'additions et de perfectionnement au brevet d'invention de dix ans qu'ils ont obtenu, le 18 janvier précédent, pour des procédés de fabrication de boîtes en plaqué or sur argent, en tout semblables aux tabatières d'or massif, et de boîtes d'écaille, de buis et autres matières de toute forme, avec ou sans charnière, doublées en dedans en plaqué or sur argent

10.o S. Lecoufle and Baudin, jewelers, residing in Paris, rue Saint-Denis, n.o 242, to whom was issued, on May 17, the certificate of their request for a certificate of additions and improvement of the ten-year patent of invention which they obtained, on the previous January 18, for processes for manufacturing boxes in gold plated on silver, in every way similar to solid gold snuff boxes, and tortoiseshell boxes, boxwood and other materials of any shape, with or without hinge, lined on the inside with gold plated on silver

It seems they are business partners!
Kind regards.

[JayT]

Thank you for this additional info.from your research.

Yes, it would appear that they were partners, as they both marked. But it isn’t clear the role of each. Baudin was a plater, according to the entry in Arminjon, so I assume he did the gold plating over the silver boxes manufactured by Lecoufle. In any case, they held patents on their technique.

Regards.