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I have a puzzling set of cuff links or buttons. They look like silver gilt, with turquoise and I think garnets. The mark is PATENT and P.B., I can find no metal purity mark. I got them from a dealer that buys from Europe, along with a couple other very old buttons that are unmarked.
I read on another thread in this forum under European jewelry that the word PATENT was used in England in the late 1700's.
Could they be British from that time period?
Thank you!

But they don't look British... Anybody?

PATENT is a German word, too, and is afaik used as well as the words "gesetzl. gesch." on some German pieces.
Maybe that's an hint, but I can't really help. :(

Thank you, Luci, I will look into that.

Not that it's a lot of help, but I wouldn't argue with American origin.I will say that the word patent and the initials PB could easily apply strictly to the clip portion of these cufflinks and not to the jeweler or jewelry manufacturer who made them.

That could be. Have you ever known an American item to be just marked PATENT? I have seen the usual patented, patent pending and variations thereof but not patent.
Style wise, my guess is Austria/Germany. I have some new ideas for searching, if I find anything I will get back to this thread. Thanks!

I can't say for sure if I have seen patent only on an American item. It didn't strike me as being unusual, but it wouldn't surprise me if I have been overlooking the obvious. Good luck with your research.