Featured French manicure set

Picked up this set recently. Sold as silverplate but the little crystal pot lid has a minerva head, so sterling. It also bears a maker's mark, LV with a leaf (or maybe a bird's wing) between the two letters. Any idea who made this? Other markings on the two other pieces detailed below.



Minerva head mark and maker's mark on the pot lid.


Scissors are market NOGENT but also bear some other marks. On one side, each handle bears a small mark that looks a bit like a staff or torch with something encasing it. Not a caduceus but along those same lines. Each handle has the same mark, with the one on the left being the best striking. The opposite side has another smaller mark that I can't make much of. Maybe the shape will be a clue. I realize these pics are not the best but they were the best of many many attempts. The marks are not well struck and are not clear in viewing at all. Any ideas?

Opposite side mark (only one handle marked).


The nail buffer is struck with marks in 2 places. Really impossible to see what they are. Here is the better of the two.


I realize that this is not a lot to go on. The marks are very tiny and not well struck. I had a heck of a time figuring out the Minerva head. I kept seeing an octopus... LOL. Only when I turned it sideways was I able to see the facial features profile under magnification.

 

Pretty little thing.

Debora

 

Nice find, Brad.

Silver, but not sterling. Minerva in this more ovoid cartouche is for .800 fineness. The Minerva in the more angular cartouche is for .900.

 

Right. I wasn't sure about this so thanks for the clarification.

 

I'm just sure Brad didn't up the price by telling them that silverplate doesn't have French silver hallmarks. I wouldn't either!

 

They probably didn't even notice the marks, or thought they were small dents. But of course Brad noticed, and he knew.

 

This was actually sold by a dealer that should have known better. She may have tried to sell it for a long time and just stuck a price on it due to it being incomplete, though she did specifically state silverplate. She is also liquidating her mom's estate and it may have come from her. Her mom was also a dealer but might not have known the marks. The tag may have been made by her mother rather than her.

I figure all is fair when dealing with dealers and pre-priced merchandise. Anyone could have come in and bought this at that price. Now if she had come to me and asked my input, that is another story.

 

Same here. If they mark it and I pay it, that's game over. I got something this weekend from a dealer who should have known better - 14k and jade with a clear mark that he didn't even look at. The aluminum eyeglass chain he looked at, go figure. He just plain didn't even look since it looked like costume.

If they ask I have to tell them what it is. That also means I'm not going to buy it anyway, can't. OTOH if they mark it, and then I ask to see it and they then "ooh she likes it so it's worth more"..and they mark it UP ...NO. No sale. To quote myself "No. Way. In. H***", because it's happened.

 

Neat set, great find at plate prices. If you’re going to have a little set like this, French is the way to go. I bought a similar little set recently. Buffer was broken. To my surprise I weighed the silver handle portion of the buffer and it weighed nearly 2oz of solid sterling! Also came with a comb which can have around 1oz of silver or so, button hook, and scissors that didn’t match. Paid $12.

 

When you're paying less than the metal weight for something like this, it's a win.

 

Just bought a USB microscope and am trying it out. Here are two new pics of the best mark on the scissors. Any ideas?



I am still getting a hang of the new device but think these are better. These are the same mark. The second pic is rotated counter-clockwise approx. 90 degrees.

 

Looks like a caduceus, but that is probably not right.

 

Definitely not a chi rho, although it wouldn't mind. Pomagranate maybe?

 

Marote posted this on another thread.... Looks like my mark, though mine does not have the initials.