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Please help. Last resort now. I have spent many hours over the last year trying to identify what type of sppon this is and where it came from.
The biggest mark on the back looks like a heart, with a letter M and the heart has wings and a crown on top
The 2nd stamp is a square with a lion kind animal face with two capital II or dots above. It is silver. There is no doubt of metal. Its just i've tried every source, read many articles. I'm just stumped now. Can anyone help?
This is it. I have used a 30x21mm, and a 60x lense on it. And still unable to work out what the symbols are. The heart with wings, is the largest and thats the one i'm working on. If i can find the make, then i can find out the smaller one.
I've tried searching heart wings etc in google, antique books, antique finder. Im just stumped now.
It's Portugese, the mark is from the city of Oporto and identifies the second standard of 833/1000. It was in use from 1886 until 1938.
The winged heart is likely to be the maker's mark, now that we know the piece is from Portugal, hopefully someone will identify the maker and perhaps his/her working period.
Most libraries will have a copy of, or can have one brought in on loan, of Tardy's International Hallmarks on Silver, with your mark illustrated - there is a wealth of information that cannot be found online.....
In the last days after »dognose« had first published his assume on Porto, I've start to find that mark, which is assumed to be the maker's mark; or at least some similarity in other maker's marks.
There are a little bit more then 5,000 of them - but not one of them match; also not from other parts of the country.
I assume from this result, that it's maybe an owner's sign? But until yet I haven't find a sounded result.
But below this maybe congregation of »Heart Jesus« mark is another very tiny mark? Maybe that is a maker's mark?
I request you kindly, to make a sketch from that tiny mark, please.
Not all is already published — and many themes would need research in local archives. That’s now one of my results of an intensive research.
The »Sacred Heart« mark is such a theme.
As I’ve already mentioned, it could be an owner’s mark — but it could be also a memory mark.
When I first enlarged the blurry files — then I had the impression, that the mark in question is a copy in miniature of a wood-cut illustration from the XVII century. That illustration has above the heart a kind of flower-pot with an implanted cross, flowering.
In between I’ve very often enlarged again, and again - but now it seems to me, for reason not being strictly in the axis of symmetries, I’ve the impression that the hart’s top is another, separate mark = maybe that is the maker’s mark? In this case it seems being placed top down?
Please would you describe also that part of this kind of combination-mark?
If the »Sacred Heart« mark is an owner’s mark, then it’s necessary to visit many archives of congregations, to find out where they’ve had cutlery in silver. This spoon could be a soup spoon, with a secret integrated marrow ‘spoon’ at the decorative tip — or it’s a server?Yes indeed, knowing dimensions is most often very helpful.
The pattern is an Iberian pattern from around the beginning of XX century — so came up now another possibility for the signification of the »Sacred Heart« mark = maybe a memory mark?
The »Sacred Heart« mystification is more or less as old as the Christianity.
But when the Protestantism has got some importance, rose up the Counter Reformation too. It’s normal in the history of mankind that in such a kind of ‘Revolution’ are developing also new visions.
To make it short:
Just before 1900, on 25 May 1899 has the Pope León XIII published his encyclical »Annum Sacrum«, in which he stated that the human mankind of the Globe must be consecrated to the »Sacred Heart« - and that was be done by him on 11 June 1899.
To understand this metaphysical event, you must realise that on each change of centuries, there rise “prophets” — just remember the 31 December 1999 and 1 January 2000: Computer Problems where promised.
But back to Portugal:
1910 became Portugal to be a Republic — and in 1928 the Pope and Portuguese Bishops consecrated Portugal again to the »Sacred Heart«.
Maybe the »Sacred heart« mark on yours spoon is a sign, that he is being consecrated too?
The time span of the Porto Assay Office mark is 1887 until 1937 - but if yours mark has integrated near the lower right corner a littleD = than it's the mark of the Porto dependency in Gondomar; their time span is from 1900 until 1913.
By the way: The ‘wings’ of the “heart” aren’t ‘wings’, but ‘rays’ or ‘flames of love’.
I had to borrow a stronger loupe from jewller to do this sketch. Its not so much like a hog now. It doesn't resembel the hogs in the pictures above. Because it doesnt have a flat back or bottom. It has spikes on top and underneath too.
I'm finding it very difficult to find the pattern/design, what it would of been used for and again the Marks on reverse are causing me confusion.
I don't even know where or how i came to have this item in my possesion. (admin edit - see Posting Requirements )
