www.925-1000.com

Here's another icon I'm interested in purchasing. I believe it is of Greek provenance. It is stamped "Silver 950" on the front and comes with a certificate of authenticity attesting to that (see image). Also, the icon itself seems to have good thickness, as can be seen in the 3rd image. I believe this is also hand chiseled, and has great detail, especially in the folds in the robes, which is indicative of Greek art.

So my question is: Is the entire icon (sans the wooden frame) made of solid 950 silver? My understanding is that Greece does not have a national assay office, but the silversmiths register with their respective cities, which is kind of reminiscent of the city states of old. The mark is supposed to start with a couple of Greek letters, indicating the city, followed by a number, indicating the silversmith's registration number. I couldn't find this marked anywhere on the icon, which makes me a little suspicious. Also, my Greek is only as good as Google Translate.

Any expert opinions would be welcome. Thank you in advance.

The simple answer to your question is NO! Only the very thin cover could be silver, but....? Please read the rest.

This icon is a newly made copy of an icon in the Byzantine Museum. It is written on the label, please read it too!!!! Sorry, but I would call it tourist junk! Hand made but still! The marks on it are no known official silver punches!

Take my advice: If you don't know what you intend to buy, DON'T BUY IT! This advice is especially important when talking about (old) objects in silver.
Mind my asking: If you still decide to buy the icon what do you intend to do with it unless you are orthodox? It is a religious object and has no value as an antiquity! Such objects should not be put on the market is my personal opinion, but....!

Hi,
The inscription in Hellenic (Greek) on the right is Hodegetria, an iconographic depiction of the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus at her side while pointing to him as the source of salvation for humankind. The Virgin's head usually inclines towards the child, who raises his hand in a blessing gesture. In the Western Church this type of icon is sometimes called Our Lady of the Way.

I think there is enough evidence that it was made of solid silver of .950 fineness.
Of course, it is modern production.
Regards

I agree with Qrt.S.
It is practically a souvenir, not even well done, and the sheet of silver is probably very thin.
Greece has always had replicas of ancient and Byzantine artifacts, more or less of rather mediocre quality. Very few replicas were well made (e.g. in National Archeological Museum; jewelry from Mycena, but that was half a century ago).
Regard

Thank you for the replies. Given the high risk, I will hold off on buying this item, even though there might be a chance that it might be solid silver. The wording is very misleading on the supposed certificate of authenticity, if it's indeed silver-plated. Good thing I asked in this forum first.

A good decision not to buy it. Please keep in mind that anybody can write anything on a piece of paper and glue it on anything. At first glance it might look good but in the long run...... Let me put it this way: You buy a piece like this and you maybe for some reason decide later to get rid of it....What would you say when an interested eventual buyer investigating the object suddenly throws in your face: e.g. "Where from have got this piece of "junk" and how much did you pay for it?" and that's that!

AS I stated earlier: If you don't know what you are buying, leave it!
Have a nice day!

AG2012 wrote:Hi,
The inscription in Hellenic (Greek) on the right is Hodegetria, an iconographic depiction of the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus at her side while pointing to him as the source of salvation for humankind. The Virgin's head usually inclines towards the child, who raises his hand in a blessing gesture. In the Western Church this type of icon is sometimes called Our Lady of the Way.

I think there is enough evidence that it was made of solid silver of .950 fineness.
Of course, it is modern production.
Regards

Thank you. We're Latin Rite Catholics, but can always appreciate a good Orthodox icon, which are always beautiful.

Qrt.S wrote:A good decision not to buy it. Please keep in mind that anybody can write anything on a piece of paper and glue it on anything. At first glance it might look good but in the long run...... Let me put it this way: You buy a piece like this and you maybe for some reason decide later to get rid of it....What would you say when an interested eventual buyer investigating the object suddenly throws in your face: e.g. "Where from have got this piece of "junk" and how much did you pay for it?" and that's that!

AS I stated earlier: If you don't know what you are buying, leave it!
Have a nice day!

Thank you. It is sad but true. I saw a YouTube video about a trade organization in the UK, whose entire job is to inspect questionable pieces of silver. I was surprised by how many pieces they go through on a yearly basis, to the tune of ten thousand pieces! I was also surprised at the "ingenuity" that some unscrupulous people have to doctor up silver pieces for more money. Honestly, I think I'm at the stage where I know enough to be dangerous.

Cheers!

Hi. I do have a very similar one with the same hallmark. There are about 20-30g of silver 950 . Is a very thin silver work