Marked with a lot of swans. (French) and an unclear hallmark. Who recognize this item? And can give me a timeframe? Some more information? Thanks in advance!
Silver vesta case, French?
Silver vesta case, French?
I can find one similar item on the internet which says it is a vesta case? Strange object with a rope through it.
Marked with a lot of swans. (French) and an unclear hallmark. Who recognize this item? And can give me a timeframe? Some more information? Thanks in advance!
Marked with a lot of swans. (French) and an unclear hallmark. Who recognize this item? And can give me a timeframe? Some more information? Thanks in advance!
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bijoux.expert
- contributor
- Posts: 109
- Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2022 10:37 am
- Location: Paris, France
Re: Silver vesta case, French?
Hello,
It's more of a tinderbox than a Vesta case; these cases are ancestors of the cigarette lighters we know. It would have held a piece of flint which was struck along the steel base of the box in order to light the wick. This wick could be used to light a pipe and even be passed around a bit before being extinguished until needed again.
The only visible marks are the swan marks, which are indeed French, but this mark is still used today to bring into conformity old items without legible hallmarks. The case therefore might not actually be French, though it looks like it is, and dates from between 1880 and 1910. It's possible that there's another hallmark on the second-last loop of the case - the fifth photo shows what may be a countermark, and the hallmark would be on the reverse. The full definition of the swan hallmark is as follows:
222 & 223. Swan in profile to left in a horizontal oval frame. Introduced on 1 July 1893 to mark silver works imported from countries which had not concluded a reciprocal treaty with France (known as non-contracting countries) for similar works of French manufacture. (For silver works imported from contracting countries, the weevil hallmarks Nos 219 and 220 were stamped.) The swan hallmark also replaced the chimera hallmark for imported silver watches from all countries. The customs law of 11 January 1892 made the title obligation applicable to all works, imported and domestic, and prohibited the importation of works of inferior titles; the use of the ET hallmark for imports was thereby suspended. Since 26 April 1902, the swan has also been a so-called hazard hallmark, inscribed on any silver article of at least 800/1000 purity without a legible French hallmark or responsibility mark, brought to the assay office by second-hand jewellery and silverware dealers, the Credit Municipal pawnbrokers or by auctioneers. Its role to mark imported articles ceased in 1971 except for imported timepieces, and the latter ceased in turn to be marked with the swan in 1990. The assay office mark is placed behind the head, no mark for Paris. Paris and departments, small module from 1 June 1893 to date. A larger module, created by the decree N° 61-1485 of 29 December 1961, was introduced on 1 January 1962 to mark larger works.
Source : French Precious Metal hallmarks from 1798 to this day, Michael Fieggen, 2024
It's more of a tinderbox than a Vesta case; these cases are ancestors of the cigarette lighters we know. It would have held a piece of flint which was struck along the steel base of the box in order to light the wick. This wick could be used to light a pipe and even be passed around a bit before being extinguished until needed again.
The only visible marks are the swan marks, which are indeed French, but this mark is still used today to bring into conformity old items without legible hallmarks. The case therefore might not actually be French, though it looks like it is, and dates from between 1880 and 1910. It's possible that there's another hallmark on the second-last loop of the case - the fifth photo shows what may be a countermark, and the hallmark would be on the reverse. The full definition of the swan hallmark is as follows:
222 & 223. Swan in profile to left in a horizontal oval frame. Introduced on 1 July 1893 to mark silver works imported from countries which had not concluded a reciprocal treaty with France (known as non-contracting countries) for similar works of French manufacture. (For silver works imported from contracting countries, the weevil hallmarks Nos 219 and 220 were stamped.) The swan hallmark also replaced the chimera hallmark for imported silver watches from all countries. The customs law of 11 January 1892 made the title obligation applicable to all works, imported and domestic, and prohibited the importation of works of inferior titles; the use of the ET hallmark for imports was thereby suspended. Since 26 April 1902, the swan has also been a so-called hazard hallmark, inscribed on any silver article of at least 800/1000 purity without a legible French hallmark or responsibility mark, brought to the assay office by second-hand jewellery and silverware dealers, the Credit Municipal pawnbrokers or by auctioneers. Its role to mark imported articles ceased in 1971 except for imported timepieces, and the latter ceased in turn to be marked with the swan in 1990. The assay office mark is placed behind the head, no mark for Paris. Paris and departments, small module from 1 June 1893 to date. A larger module, created by the decree N° 61-1485 of 29 December 1961, was introduced on 1 January 1962 to mark larger works.
Source : French Precious Metal hallmarks from 1798 to this day, Michael Fieggen, 2024