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A russian tablespoon with marks for Moscow 1888. Does anyone know who the maker and assayer is?
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Thanks
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Hi,

I have the maker as S.Yarlevtsin working 1860-1908 in Vilnius.

Trev.
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The full name of the maker is Shlioma Yankeliovich Yalovtsin (sometimes Yakovtsin), born in Vilnus, Lithuania, apprenticed there November 10, 1856 to Aizik Magat, made a provisional master June 8, 1860 and full master August 2, 1864. He was a prolific maker of flatware & Judaica (he was Jewish himself). Last listed in 1897.
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Sorry; forgot to answer the other part of your question. While the city marks of Vilnius & Moscow are similar in that they both depict an equestrian figure, Moscow's symbol is St. George and Vilnius' is the Vytis: the White Knight of Lithuania. The initials of the assayer "MP" (tranlisterated from the Cyrillic) clears things up: Mikhail Aleksandrovich Pereselegin, assayer at Vilnius 1888-1891.
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To Blakstone,

With due respect blakstone, I would very match appreciate if you cold tell me what is your source regarding the assayer, this Mikhail Aleksandrovich Pereselegin, assayer at Vilnius 1888-1891.. I have several books of Russian assayers and silver smiths, hallmarks etc., but I cannot find this assayer in any of my books. Please note! Not even in A. Ivanovs green book.
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Lietuvos Auksakalyste:XV-XIX amzius by E. Laucevicius & B. R. Vitakauskiene. It covers all known Lithuanian silversmiths & their marks up through the 19th century, as well as all the Russian Imperial assayers in Lithuania.
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Thank you for the information. I appreciate it. However it is strange that this information is not included in A. Ivanovs books, which I think you most likely are familiar with.
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Familiar with, yes, but I've never seen a copy. It's my understanding that the print run was extremely limited and, as I recall, obscenely expensive. I can't even find a library in the US with a copy.

However, I note that the Ivanov book came out only a year after Lietuvos Auksakalyste, so I suspect the information in the latter came from local Lithuanian records either not available to or not consulted by Ivanov. Lietuvos Auksakalyste seems very well-researched and scholarly affair, so I have no reason to doubt its veracity, but I make no similar claims of my crude and hopelessly inept translation of Lithuanian! The dates and images of Pereselegin's marks are very straightforward, however.
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I’m afraid that I’m a bit out of topic now, but nevertheless I’d like share some information regarding Ivanov’s books. There are two books a green one by the name of Assaying and Hallmarking in Russia (1700-1946) and a blue one; Gold and Silversmiths in Russia (1600-1926). The blue book consists of two volumes. All in all there are three big and heavy books, both in Russian and in English.

Yes, the books are extremely expensive. I have also heard that it was a very limited edition of only 2000 items, who knows. I got the green book from Moscow to the price of EUR 450, and that was “cheap”, believe me or not. I have seen prices exceeding EUR 1.200 per item. The green book is a real treasure indeed. The blue books a managed to find in Tallinn Estonia.
However, you don’t necessary need the blue ones if you have Postnikova-Losseva-Uljanovas’ book. They are not at all that important.
Anyway, I have the books and in case any of you need any information, please don’t hesitate to contact me (preferably by email). I’ll do what I can to help you to solve your problem.
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Hi,

It is always better if requests for information are directed through the Forum. In this way all members can share in the knowledge that is posted.

Trev.
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Yes of course, bad wording sorry for that. What I actually meant be email was information regarding acquiring the books, not investigating the marks. My last comment was already partly out of topic.
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