www.925-1000.com

I have four of these silver “shot cups” weighing about 10 grams each. I am certain they are well over 50 years old, likely over 100 years old. In my research I have found “shot cups” with a very similar pattern, but what appears to be a different hallmark. I suspect these are European, though they may be Russian.



I would very much appreciate any help! Thank you.

Mind my asking but what makes you think the cups are silver or even Russian? Nothing indicates that. One thing is rather sure, they are not Russian and hardly European silver?

The cup is French. The Minerva mark with cut corners stands for silver 950. There must be a makers mark in lozenge form.
Regards silverfan

You can also see the number 1 in front of the head, also confirming "premier titre" = silver 950.
Regards silverfan

"Cut corners"??? in my eyes the corners are rounded. Moreover, no maker's mark, so??? Please show a better/sharp and bigger picture of the mark only. In addition try to find the requested maker's mark in a lozenge. If you can find it, your cup could be French, but as for now......?

Best pic I was able to take of maker’s mark:



I know the other pieces from this estate and they are mostly European with some older Russian pieces. Also, I found a similar piece (same pattern) on an online site, which listed it as French. And I was confusing the purity mark with the (smaller) maker’s mark, so this may possibly be the same maker as the one I saw online, although the clarity on my piece seems to my naive eye very poor.

These cups were very heavily used and polished for decades. I anticipated that this might be difficult. Kindest thanks to both silverfan and Qrt.S for your timely and on-point responses!

Hello
Agree that your liqueur or cordial cups are 19th C French 950 standard silver.

See:

https://www.925-1000.com/Ffrench_marks.html

If you can give us the first letter of the maker’s mark, we might be able to find the maker. Of the 4 cups, there might be one that is more clearly marked.

@QrtS: A maker’s mark is not absolutely required on French 19th C silver, only the silver standard mark. Manufacturers would mark silver objects with the standard, and supply other makers or retailers who may or may not add a maker’s mark. Some well-known examples are Odiot who sub-contracted out most of their silver flatware production to Jean Granvigne, and Christofle who sub-contracted out all their
950 standard silver production to Cardeilhac.

Good luck in your research.

Regards.

:::: Did the "French Maker's Mark Not Required" tradition extend until the 2nd half of the 20th century? :::::

::::: Found a French sterling silver necklace with the "crab" hallmarks on all 5 bars (it is a very long "bar" necklace that is so long you can put it over your head without a clasp) and when you look inside what should be the "Maker's Mark" cartouche all you see is the word "STERLING". :::::

::::: I was going to make a new thread about this, but I'm not sure how to do it when only the word "STERLING" appears in the "faux maker's mark". ::::

Hello
Not really sure what your question is.

France adopted the sterling silver standard in 1972 in accordance with EU regulations. Therefore objects marked “sterling” date after 1972.

Your necklace is also marked with a crab mark, undoubtedly to reassure the French public who are used to seeing a French silver standard mark. I’m not sure what you mean by a “faux” maker’s mark.

Regards.

@JayT Thanks for your help with this cup! Sadly, the two pix I posted were the best I could summon out of the cups I had; it may be my poor photography skills but I suspect the more likely trouble is the heavy use and polishing/cleaning these cups have sustained over the years.

You’re welcome!

Unfortunately without a clear mark it is impossible to know who is the maker of your cups.

What we can say with certainty is that they are French 950 standard silver, made in Paris in the 19th C, after 1838.

The decoration is an applied milled band of what appears to be anthemions.

Regards.

:::: The "diamond-shaped cartouche" has the word "STERLING" within the boundaries of the cartouche, so I am calling it a "faux cartouche" because it doesn't have a maker's mark within it, it just has the word "STERLING" and it even looks a bit mis-shaped, I think the diamond-shaped cartouche with the word "STERLING" inside is not a maker's mark, although it appears to be a maker's mark, it is not a maker's mark, it is just another designation of the "STERLING" standard. ::::::