Help with snuff box marks.

[jdraichart]

Hello,

I am trying to identify a snuff box i inherited. So far I believe it is astria-hungarian 1872-1922 from the bregenz.

Their are 2 marks i am unable to identify. it looks like an O before the city code H

After the H is a circle symbol with what appears to be a AR or something similar.

I took it into my jeweler and he said the box was junk, not silver/ not old so I would really like to find out if that was true. I believe it should be silver, but it is goldish colored inside and painted/enamel/??? on the outside.

Any help is appreciated.

Jason

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 692bc2.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 0e1834.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 9d5030.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... ac0d19.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 41baa8.jpg

[AGHEAD]

Your pics are a little blurry. What I see on the far right hand side is a hexagon with Diana's Head, looks like A= Vienna, 2=0.900 silver.

[jdraichart]

Thank you for your response. I have tried to get a few better pictures.

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... c341b8.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 519f3e.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 2cffe1.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 68450e.jpg

[joris]

If I read the mark correctly, it is an A-R (no serifs) with a dot between the letters, in an oval. This would be Anton Josef Reinhardt, active 1892 to sometime after 1936. (Your box, of course, would be before 1924, when the markings changed.) AJ Reinhardt was registered as a goldsmith and jeweler, rather than as a silversmith, which fits quite well. AGHEAD is correct; this is 0.900 silver, and certainly not "junk". The OH mark is a mystery to me, however; the retailer, possibly, or enameler? I find no goldsmith/silversmith marks which correspond, anyway.

[jdraichart]

Thank you BOTH for excellent information.

Does anyone know if it was unusual for thew box to have enamel inlaid on it??

I will keep trying to learn more about the item, and I can see that it is definately NOT JUNK. So much for going to the local jeweler and antique "Experts". I will keep looking and see if I can find out what/who the O H is. Thanks in advance

[joris]

No, enamelling is not at all unusual. Many have an elaborate multi-coloured design, while others have a guilloche decor covered by a single colour of enamel, and is often done on a metal other than silver. You might have a look on eBay (just search for "enamel snuffbox", for example, or hunt around in the silver section) for examples.
Would you mind posting a photo of the exterior of your box? It might also help us to establish a date.
Best wishes.

[jdraichart]

Thanks you. I have attached images of the outside.

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... a74be8.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 32114a.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... b195e9.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... b195e9.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... b195e9.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 8aa69d.jpg
http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag9 ... 30cb5f.jpg