Help Identify this Silver Service

[scolada]

Hello All,

I am looking for some help in identifying this what I believe to be Russian Tea Service. Let me start off by saying that the leaves, etc look to be applied in copper but I am sure that the main body is silver and not just silver plate. I hope that's ok to post here since it does say no silverplate but as I said, the main body looks to be silver and not plate...

I've done a fair bit of research but not knowing anything about Russian Silver this is what I believe I have based on the marks. Of course it could be fake but I will start from the top and see what you think;

Assay Mark: It appears to be A.T./1840 (A.T. in Cyrillic) and from what I've found could be Dimitry Ilyich Tverskoi since he worked in St. Petersburg from 1834 - 1851.
Makers Mark: N & P which I think or hope is for Nichols & Plinke.
Another Mark: CT which again I am hoping could be Johann Tegelsten.
Silver content: 88 Silver Fineness.

I'm attaching a lot of pictures with as much detail as I can but it does look to be a very fine service regardless. There appears to be the remnants of a gold wash on the interior too.

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all in advance.

[Goldstein]

Hello scolada -

Nichols & Plinke. The renowned St. Petersburg firm "English shop". The owners of the shop, Wiliam Plinke and Konstantin Nichols, became merchants of the second guild in 1804. The same year these natives of England became Russian citizens and in 1808 became merchants of the first guild. By the end of 1870 the Court Office purchased all its silver items through the shop. This shows, that the manufactured articles were of highest quality.

So far some general information.
Without gving you a boring lesson about Russian silvermarks and stamp rules I can say the following: all marks are counterfait marks and wrong in appearance and placement. This set looks not like solid silver 916/1000 = 88 Zolotniki but copper silverplated. On all rubbed corners and edges the copper is shining through.

Sorry for the bad news -
Regards
Bernstein