Forgive the quality of the second photo, my cell phone is crap and it's the only camera I have but I wanted to make sure I followed the posting rules. I'm a first time poster here. That being said the first photo contains all the marks on the silver box in the second photo. I read the information in the other posts and my question is simple. What does the mark that resembles the boat (marked number 4 in the 1st image) represent? I've seen it referred to in these forums as 'another pseudo mark', but for what? I've found images of it but it's never described or explained in any way
I assume this piece is Philip Hovingh's work, a registered silversmith from 1832-1851 in Oude Pekela, Netherlands. I'm aware the images marked 1 in the first photo are the city of Amsterdam marks, the three Andreas crosses. The mark found on the silver box I have is circled in red, so we're looking at a pseudo 16-17th century mark. Both the key and the right facing lion passant confirm that. The key being used on products bound for export from 1853 till 1953. The key would also mean that the box was made 2 years after Hovingh was no longer a registered silversmith, which is interesting. The mark of the right facing lion passant walking was used between 1814-1953. The number 2 below the lion represents that the silver is 833/1000 fineness. The letter H marking is a 16th century pseudo date letter. People have seen date marking with a letter code in Amsterdam as early as 1503, but there was no nationally standardized system until 1814. The piece I have is trying to pass as 17th century but I'm almost certain that it was made by Philip Hovingh, and even if it wasn't it is still a reproduction of the work from the Dutch gilded period. I suppose that would make this another example on here of an early Dutch forgery. Pretty cool.
Also please correct me if I'm mistaken on anything above. I got most of this information form these forums, but I could have mixed something up. I'm aware there's no H13 maker's mark for Hovingh. But anyway back to my question. Any idea on the image one, number 4? It looks like a boat or even a sailboat. I've read it's a pseudo mark, but anyone know for what?
