Marks on Pin Cushion

carling · Post by **carling** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:46 am

Can anyone identify country of origin of this pin cushion?

It has Chester 1909 import marks on the side:

but does anyone recognise the marks on the sole of the shoe? I know they're rubbed but there is perhaps sufficient detail to identify the mark to the right of the 930 mark.

Regards/carling

blakstone · Post by **blakstone** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 10:34 pm

Your pincushion is German; these are once again pseudo-marks from Hanau. The marks here are badly worn, and I don't like attributing Hanau pieces based on one legible mark (the fleur-de-lys), but I'm pretty sure that it's by Friedrich Reusswig, founded 1903 and continued by his heirs (he died in 1909) until at least 1929. The fleur-de-lys is certainly identical to one used by Reusswig, and I have seen near identical pincushions by this firm (although other firms in Hanau made these novelty shoe pincushions). Oh, by the way, I think the fineness is .830, much more common in Germany than .930, and much more suitable for a utilitarian item such as this.

Post by **dognose** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 6:14 am

Hi, If it was 830 standard, would it not have been detected at the Chester assay?
Regards Trev.

carling · Post by **carling** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 9:22 am

Many thanks for your reply, blakstone. Very helpful. Appreciated.

With regard to your comment, Trev, I am undecided whether it is 930 or 830. Although I appreciate that the 830 standard was more common in Germany I plumped for 930 because of the subsequent Chester marks. If it is 830 this does indeed present a dilemma.

Regards/carling

blakstone · Post by **blakstone** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:42 pm

I'm sure you're right about the Chester office; UK assayers were pretty meticulous. I guess I was concentratig on the German marks and didn't consider the English ones.

Mea Culpa!