www.925-1000.com

Hi,
I need some information about a pretty milk-jug.
Inside it's vermeille ( with gold).
On the back it has a shield with a lion inside and under his feet the date(?) 1820.
There are also two mark "A" and a oval mark with inside three letters: the first is D. the second may be T. or F.
Do you have any idea about the nationality and if it's silver or plated?
I'm sorry for my english!
Thanks a lot for your attention!
Iris

http://www.esnips.com/doc/41a5a990-8277 ... CN0550.jpg

http://www.esnips.com/doc/d91162aa-0398 ... c/lattiera

The lion/1820 is the city mark of Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany. "1820" is indeed the date, but it is to be noted that the year was shown in the city mark only in 1819 and 1820; otherwise the Brunswick mark is just the lion.

"A" is the assayer's mark. The list of Brunswick assayers and their tenures is lost to time, but the relative dates of these letters have been roughly reconstructed from dated items and surviving records. (It is known, for instance, that there were at least two assayers working concurrently at any given time.) This letter "A" is known to have been used at least between 1818 and 1834.

The maker's mark is worn on the right side. The full mark is "D.F.H.", in an oval: the mark of David Ferdinand Conrad Howald(t), working in 1799-1841.

Hope this helps!

Sorry, forgot to add that the presence of these official marks means that your creamer is silver, not plate, and of at least of the minimum legal fineness in Brunswick at the time: 12 löt, or 750/1000.

Dear blakstone,
I'm really happy to read your explanations!!
You was so accurate and clear!
May you tell me if there's a publication that could improve me on german silver?
Thanks a lot...really!!
Iris