Solid Silver Bodkin-unknown curious makers marks

the_nosferatu · Post by **the_nosferatu** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:58 am

Hi, having just aquired this little silver bodkin i am completely stumped as to the makers mark or date or country regardin g this little item..i am strongly thinknig dutch silver but as to anything else i am really at a complete loss, i have trawled the foreign makers and come up with nothing even though the duty stamp looks like all of them for every country? :)and alas i am without the jacksons book on foreign silver..
any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.
thanks in advance.

Post by **dognose** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 6:03 am

Hi,

This is a Spadinn, a silver hair-pin used by north Italian woman wearing their hair in the Sperada fashion.
These pins were traditionally given by suitors, an Italian girl in the 18th-19th Century would wear her hair down until she became engaged and a bride on her wedding day would often be given a dozen or so, depending on the wealth of the groom.
I have seen them sold in the UK as poultry skewers!

Trev.

http://www.925-1000.com/Fitalian_marks_01.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **dognose** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:19 am

Hi,

Forgot to mention, if you check the base of the 'head' mark you should see the number '3' this stands for 800/1000 the third grade of silver. This mark was used in Nice which was part of Italy for part of the 19th Century.

Trev.

Doos · Post by **Doos** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:17 am

Hi Dognose,

Thanks for the information on this 'nice' type of jewellery.

the_nosferatu · Post by **the_nosferatu** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:30 am

and there i was thinking it was a bodkin, thankyou for the information :) i could swear some of you use 'time machines' to find out what you do! :)
i shall now investigate italian silver smith hall marks..could do with a copy of the jackons continental if there is one?

Post by **dognose** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:38 am

but you are correct... There are two sorts of Bodkins, check out:

Silver Glossary

Trev.

the_nosferatu · Post by **the_nosferatu** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:39 am

thanks trev, i must say i do find this all so very interesting :)
i have found something relating to its possible maker in a weird book..apparently it could be 'cappeli' from the end of the emanuel II reign in italy, 1870s..

Post by **dognose** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 2:01 pm

Hi,

If you could post any possible findings, I'm sure it will be of interest.
Also I must correct my post regarding the Nice attribution, the 'head mark' was used throughout Italy. (Many thanks to Doos for translating my French version of 'Tardy')

Regards Trev.