A messy affair

[amena]

This inkwell has many marks.


On the left the Vienna 1818 mark, which I assume is genuine, but I could be wrong and I'm here to be corrected.
In the center there is a mark V R joined together, which I guess goes together with the Vienna mark.
On the right there are three marks placed vertically.
At the top there is a LW and below two marks that I have found other times on their own.

Could it be an inkwell made in Malta and imported into Austria, or perhaps vice versa or something else where Malta has nothing to do with it?
Can anyone help me untangle this problem?
Thanks for attention
Amena

[oel]

Hi Amena,

For the VR (Vorratsstempel für Silberarbeiten) mark see;
https://www.silvercollection.it/austria ... marks.html
viewtopic.php?t=1944
The VR mark is actually an hallmark showing that taxes have been paid and that the item is considered as ancient piece of silver.

https://hauspublikationen.mak.at/viewer ... 001/46-47/
The stock stamp (VR intertwined), the exemption stamp (FR intertwined) and the tax stamp (TF intertwined with the official letter above this stamp) are connected with the re-hallmarking and the silver surrender order. The stock stamp was introduced in Vienna and Graz in 1807, and in Prague, Brno, Lemberg, Klagenfurt and Linz in 1811 and was struck onto the stocks of goods whose inventory was officially recorded, and meant the authorization to subject the pieces to re-hallmarking in accordance with the sale.
My best guess made in Vienna, and later re-hallmarked in Malta
Peter.

[huszas76]

Hello!
The inkwell made in Wien in 1818, the maker most likely was Lorenz Wieninger.
Best regards!
Krisztián

[amena]

Thanks Peter and Krisztián for your help
It therefore seems that half the problem is solved:
The inkwell was manufactured in Vienna in 1818.
What about the other two marks?
The Maltese cross in the octagon corresponds well to Saverio Cannataci's mark, but what does the head of Mercury (?) mean?
Why is it stamped on every single piece of the inkwell?

I couldn't find any news about it.
Could it be an import mark?
Anyone have any clues?

[oel]

Head of Mercury or....couped stag's head?

The Canongate, Edinburgh, and Maltese Silver by Victor F. Denaro
This short article may be regarded as complementary to one which appeared on the September 1968 number of the Collectors' Guide entitled 'Maltese Silver and the Red Hand of Ulster', which aimed at dispelling some of the confusion which existed regarding silver marked with an
'open hand'.
The late Sir Charles J Jackson, in his work English Goldsmiths and their Marks (London,1921), suggested that the mark in question might be that on plate of Belfast make. It has now been established that this mark was that adopted by the Maltese Goldsmiths in 1801.
Other marks which may be creating some confusion are those consisting of the letters 'F', 'R' or 'M' surmounted by a stag's head.
In the above mentioned work, on p 512, Sir Charles Jackson illustrated a number of marks used by the Canongate Goldsmiths (fig 1). Most of the marks illustrated include a stag's head couped or erased which was the mark of the Canongate.
The British occupation of the Maltese Islands brought prosperity in its wake to the Maltese craftsmen. However, it seems that irregularities crept into the goldsmiths' craft at this period, as a notice issued on the 1st October 1810, under the signature of Mr E F Chapman, Public Secretary, by order of His Majesty's Civil Commissioner, read that 'to put a stop to the frauds which, to the great detriment of the Public, have of late been committed in regard to the sale of articles manufactured of adulterated gold and silver, His Excellency Lieutenant General Oakes, His Majesty's Civil Commissioner, besides directing the necessary measures to be adopted for the discovery and punishment of the principal offenders, has ordered a new stamp to be prepared and it is hereby notified that the respective Consul of the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths are henceforth to affix the said stamp in the office of the University only, and that, in the presence of the Intendant of Weights, and of one or more of the jurats, and for this purpose two days in the week and certain hours to be fixed by the latter will be appropriated. The Consuls will thus be protected in the execution of their duty, the Tradesmen will not dare to produce impure metals, and the public faith will be restored amongst the Inhabitants whose interest is ever an object of anxious solicitude to His Excellency'
 The University (or Universita) mentioned in the above Notice was a municipal body, equivalent to a Town Council in Britain. Its members were known as jurats. Though the above mentioned Notice gave no description of the new stamp, it is practically certain that this consisted of the letters 'F', 'R' or 'M' surmounted by a stag's head. These three letters indicated the three standards of silver admitted in 1778 by the 'Rohan DENARO: THE CANONGATE, EDINBURGH, AND MALTESE SILVER | 239 Code' of Dritto Municipale di Malta' viz: silver of the standard of 11 1/2 deniers (.956), locally known as French Silver; silver of the fineness of 11 deniers (.915), locally known as Roman Silver; and silver of the fineness of 10 deniers (.833), locally known as Maltese Silver. The fineness of the silver was indicated by the letter 'F for French Silver, the letter 'R' for Roman Silver and the letter 'M' for Maltese Silver. A point arises as to why the Maltese Goldsmiths should have marked their ware with a couped stag's head. The stag is an animal alien to the Maltese Islands and it is most unlikely that any of the Maltese craftsmen had ever seen a live stag during their lifetime. Therefore one comes to the conclusion that as the mark of the couped 'open hand', probably the Baronet's Badge, was devised by the Maltese goldsmiths as a compliment to Sir Alexander Ball, Bart., His Majesty's Civil Commissioner in Malta, the stag's head was taken from some portion of the crest of Sir Hildebrand Oakes and adopted by the goldsmiths as part of their mark out of deference to the Island's Civil Commissioner. Gaetano Offennaghel, Stefano Ittar, Gioacchino Lebrun, Vincenzo Psaila  and many other Maltese silversmiths manufactured quantities of spoons, forks and soup ladles stamped with the marks under review. In conclusion, as in the case of the mark of the open hand, one feels confident that this short article may help to dispel any confusion regarding the marks 'F', 'R' and 'M' surmounted by stag's head, and that silver so marked will henceforth be considered as of Maltese origin.  

The silver ink well set made in Vienna 13 lot or .812 silver fineness, below the Maltese standard M (10 deniers) for .833. Hence the absence of the letter M, couped stag's head only. Together with the silversmith's responsibility mark, a Maltese cross in the octagon attributed to Saverio Cannataci.
No irregularities, all parts of the inkwell set properly marked, as it should be.

Peter.


Source; The Canongate, Edinburgh, and Maltese Silver by Victor F. Denaro.

[amena]

Thanks Peter for the interesting quote.
Personally, though, I can't see a stag's head in the round mark, I think I see a human head.

I'm not sure if it's Mercury, I'm only saying this because I think I see wings on his head.
It may be that it's just my impression, in silver marks one easily falls into pareidolia.
Regards
Amena