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Hi All;

Just wondering if someone could help me decode the hallmarks on this decorative silver bowl... It is .833 silver by the looks of the lion passant, not sure if the second hallmark is cutting pliars (indicating Embden as city of origin) and not sure what to make of third hallmark...

Any help would be appreciated!

Hi Jonathan, welcome to the forum.

Tthe lion passant walking the right way with export key; Dutch standard mark to indicate 0.833 fineness, used 1814-1953. The other two marks are pseudo or fake marks; pseudo duty mark O with crescent moon, should be crown(1807) and pseudo date letter H. Those marks could have been put on by: Fa.(Firm) H. Hooijkaas 1874-2008; Zilverfabriek Schoonhoven. See;
http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=28590


Please check your bowl for a maker’s mark, assay office mark and proper date letter, those could be spread around the bowl and/or hidden in in the decoration. For more information about Dutch hallmarks see:
http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32028


Oel.

Thanks very much for your speedy and knowledgeable reply... I will see if I can get my mother to search out the marks, as they must be incorporated in to the design as you say.

Will post back to the thread once she has some decent pictures...

Well, finally able to take some other pictures... From what I can see, there is only 1 other mark on the bowl, I think anything else that is present is just part of the design... Would anyone have any idea what this 1 mark might indicate?

Many thanks in advance!

One of the legs also has this mark, not sure but it just looks like an amorphous blob to me...

To me it looks like the 'I' of the Breda office, but it will need someone with more experience of Dutch marks to offer a sounder opinion.



Trev.

Your first image the 'missing date letter' Gothic O for 1898.

The second image, the mark is part of the decoration or pseudo mark 'crowned O'?
The third image is the assay office mark or Minerva head, the regional assay office (rao) letter, I believe not to be an I for Breda because this assay office closed the 1st of January 1875.
Also the location of the rao letter is at ‘ear height’ of the Minerva see:


I am afraid the rao letter is beyond recognition. However I still believe it to be made by Hooykaas and assayed in the city of Schoonhoven (rao letter M)





Oel.

My best guess is that this is for sure not M for Schoonhoven, but most probably B for Utrecht.
Regards, rene

Hi Rene, welcome to the forum.

Thanks for your thoughts. I am not convinced, the assay office letter is too unclear and the absence of a maker’s mark does not make it easier.
The pseudo duty mark; O with crescent moon is mentioned by Citroen in the book Valse Zilvermerken in Nederland and found on items made in Groningen,regional assay office letter E. But we also know that a few silversmiths in Friesland, Groningen and Schoonhoven had working relationships and used (the same) pseudo/fantasy marks, the Gebroeders ( brothers) Niekerk registered in Schoonhoven and Groningen (1899-1927).


Best,

Peter