Posted 9 years ago
Hyp-storian
(40 items)
Greetings all,
I'm the proud new owner of this beautifully crafted antique sterling silver eagle (with celluloid) letter opener, and would appreciate it if anyone out there in CollectorLand could help to identify the maker's mark.
I was told that the 830 S indicates that it's of Norwegian manufacture, but the seller was also unable to identify the maker's mark.
This beauty measures 10 1/4 inches long and the sterling silver eagle head measures a full 4 1/2 inches!
Thanks for looking.
What a unique piece. All I can see is the 830S stamp. The photo of the other mark is too small/not clear. If you have a jeweler's loup/magnifier, then focus the photo with the loup up against the lens. Reframe the photo to a larger size before uploading it.
FABULOUS !!!!
Efesgirl,
Both my wife and I tried a jeweler's loup AND a (lighted) magnifier, and we still can't quite make it out- it's simply not clear enough. I'm hoping that someone on here has seen another, or a similar, example and can identify it that way....
Thanks Vertraio50...!
Hard to believe that the maker of such a spectacular piece wouldn't want his "mark" to be more identifiable, but it's stamped on a tiny "feather" and just not legible enough...
You mazy be able to figure it out with these.
http://www.925-1000.com/Fnorway_marks.html
I google image searched silver celluloid letter opener eagle. There is a horsehead one EXACTLY the same shaped celluloid. They say it is marked V. CH. (Swiss?) Scroll down or do a search for 'horse letter opener'. The pic there is TINY, so do the google image search for a larger picture.
http://www.showcaseantiques.com/newsletter0607.htm
Thank you kindly Celiene- that link to the silver/celuloid horse model was VERY helpful! It was clearly made by the same person, and I too think it is Swiss rather than Norwegian.
CH is the country code for Switzerland. That eagle head is GORGEOUS!
The only problem- they don't mark their silver 830.
http://hallmarkwiki.com/?country=Switzerland
Norway (After 1892), Denmark (After 1972), Sweden, Finland, Portugal (current).
http://www.925-1000.com/a_Standards.html
Celiene,
It's all pretty confusing, isn't it? I also checked out the "German hallmarks page" and on page 4 ("H-K"), "after 1886", there's also a hallmark for "830" made by a Felix Horovitz, and on the "M-R' page another "830" hallmark by Josef Pauser and another by Plaz & Kalber- while everything else is either 800, 835, 900 or 925!
On the "R-S" page is yet another "830" hallmark by Franz Scheurle, and on the "S-W" page is yet another "830" hallmark by Storck & Sinsheimer and by M.H. Wilkens & Sohne.
So apparently there ARE exceptions to the "rule"....
Also, even though that silver/celluloid horse head opener (or page turner) looks exactly like the same maker as the eagle, how certain is it that the seller got THAT hallmark correct? If it's as small and illegible as the hallmark on my eagle, it's anybody's guess.
Sheesh...
Hyp-storian > ain't this fun? LOL
Hyp - I know. There is no way to tell if the horse head mark is correct. But I think you can say they were definitely made by the same maker. I was hoping the OP would look at the Marks page I gave him, to compare to his mark.
Efesgirl,
Yes it is, and it keeps me off the streets and out of trouble...; - )
Hi,
I think I can answer your question the marks are actually Polish, I know this as my father passed away last year and I should have received this as it had been handed down for three generations and even hidden from the Germans during the war under the floorboards of dads home and his mother baught it to him in England in the sixties as he was the eldest son - unfortunately it nave cam to me as my sister who was the executor sold it somI could not have it.
So I can confirm it is Polish with a Polish Mark...........
I am not saying this is the one by the way as dads had distingtive vains in the Ivory or Ivorian knife section.
All the best and hope this helps.
Hi, a couple of weeks ago I found the very same eagle letter opener.
On mine you can also Read 830 S, but i can also read a T with an S written over It, or an S with an T written over It. That could probably be the mark you are missing.
Hi Dellahoyas,
Thanks! Do you have any idea what those marks/letters signify (maker? country?)?
Sry, i dont know anything more than you. But i Will let you know if I find something.
Thanks again- much appreciated!
https://img.tradera.net/images/645/266537645_05ff88de-3909-4355-b19f-922df1e1f6c7.jpg
Link to the mark on my knife.
That's a wonderfully clear mark - hope Hyp-storian sees it.