unknown toothpick holder? help if you can please

[playful0]

Hi, I have run across another small item I cant quite make out who made it. it is a small urn or tooth pick holder. it has 3 hallmarks a symbol I cant figure out, a H inside of a shield with a center point, and a lion with a more upright tail. marked sterling 33... I will upload a couple of pictures, I hope yall can help me on this one. and thank you for trying even if you cant. I hope I have the images correct this time lol.

[SteveDWollongong]

Hi Playful0,

The three marks are the makers marks belonging to the Hunt Silver Company of New York and Chicago. The immediate give away that this piece is not British is the word "Sterling" which is nearly always associated to post 1860 American silver. A quick investigation under the American Silver section of this site, under the initial "H" would have found it for you. See below;

http://www.925-1000.com/americansilver_H3.html

Cheers,
Steve

[playful0]

awesome thanks a ton, I thought that lion looking one always ment it was a brit made item??

[SteveDWollongong]

Not necessarily. It is indeed very commonly found on UK silver as it is the part of the hallmarking system that denotes that the silver is comprised of 925 parts per 1000. This amount or "fineness" of 925/1000 is called "sterling". Sterling silver is the most commonly used in the UK and therefore the lion appears on most solid silver produced there.

You can find the lion included in some makers marks from countries such as the US, colonial India and Canada to name a few. I'm pretty sure I've seen it on the odd piece of Chinese silver too.

Cheers.
Steve