The marks (in order):
1. The head of Ceres, in a circle: the Paris guarantee mark for large silver articles, in use August 16 1816 — 9 May 1838.
2, The head of Michelangelo with “1”: the Paris mark for 1st standard (.950) silver, in use August 16 1816 — 9 May 1838.
3. “SSR” with a
biscione (“une bisse de Milan”): the maker’s mark of Sixte-Simon Rion.
I have no idea why Rion chose a Milanese device for his mark, but that’s what he called it when he registered it. I feel sure that the letter is “R”, not “B” and that this is just a worn or chattered punch. (Note the truncated points on the top and bottom.) And the “R” looked like a “B” in at least one of his marks when it was new. He registered five identical marks over the years, in 1807, 1824, 1830, 1832 and 1835. He was succeeded upon his death in 1841 by his son, Eugène-François Rion, who used an identical mark but with the initials “EFR”. This mark was cancelled — and the firm presumably closed — in 1862.
Lastly, a chocolate pot would have had a full hinged lid, itself with a smaller hinged opening at the finial to insert a muddler. This is cream/hot milk jug; French versions of this era usually had a wooden handle so that it could be used as both.
Being in New Orleans, I like café au lait better than hot chocolate anyway.
