Help identify coffee & creamer origin and hallmarks unk

[tkn242]

Picture of set I have had in the family for 75 years. Note creast and hallmarks: Unknow and unable to locate.
Creast: "Dant Adversa Decus"
Hallmarks: 1er FG and a shield


This is a sterling set and very well made. I appreciate any help. I have looked all over this site and others.

Thank you,
Dave


http://sv1.letmehost.com/sv1/24/sevice_000.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(admin photo edit - images too large - link only - see Posting Requirements)

[Granmaa]

I believe the Latin motto means "Adversities bring/give honour".

Miles

[blakstone]

Your very nice coffeepot and creamer are Swiss. Specifically, the shield is the city mark for the city of Lausanne, Canton Vaud, Switzerland. "1er" is a contraction of "Premier", i.e. "First", for the old Vaud first silver standard of 11 deniers, or 916/1000 (not quite sterling, but close enough).

The maker "FG" is Frères Gély [Gély Brothers], Marc (1787-1871) and Charles (1789-1860) Gély, grandsons of silversmith David-Benoît Gély (1734-1809). They were active from 1813, successors to the prolific and prestigious Swiss firm of Papus & Dautun. Frères Gély were without question the best Lausanne silversmiths of the first half of the 19th century. Given the style of your set, i would date it around 1820-30.

The arms have a motto and are properly tinctured; given that - and that you now also know the set's Swiss origins - I would strongly suggest you go to a good library and start hunting through some heraldic books to see if you can identify the arms and, perhaps, the set's original owner.

Hope this helps!

[tkn242]

Thank you so much! You knowledge about this has me so fascinated. I will follow up with this. I live In Albany NY and we have the state library close by. I had taken it to one of those appraisal days at the museum and they were stumped (they thought it was French), so my hats of to you!!!


Sincerely,

Dave
[/b]

[blakstone]

You're welcome. I can save you a few more steps, too. I googled the motto (mottoes are a good place to start when researching an armorial) and found in Google books (a great online repository of books in the public domain) a book on Swiss bookplates. It listed your motto and coat of arms and identified them as those of the du Thon family of Bonvillars, a municipality in the Vaud canton.