Featured 950 Silver marcasite lizard --can anyone make out the stamp?

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by Lucille.b, Dec 1, 2020.

  1. Lucille.b

    Lucille.b Well-Known Member

    Lizard or gecko stamped 950.

    Tiny letters on the closure pin where pencil is pointing. (Close-up in following photo) Can anyone make this out?

    marc1.jpg marc2v.jpg marc3.jpg marc1b.jpg
     
  2. wenna

    wenna Well-Known Member

    i need help, komokwa, KSW and 2 others like this.
  3. Lucille.b

    Lucille.b Well-Known Member

    @wenna Thank you. Holding the one I have in my hand next to the photos of that listing, it is a dead ringer for mine. An exact copy.

    That sold one says 1920s Germany.

    It was interesting as I did some preliminary research, I found several ones that were listed as older. At first assumed more recent, I think they started making these again in the 1970s or 90s when marcasites started popping up in modern jewelry. But can say that the one I have does seem to be high quality, and came from the estate of a wealthy former owner who had some real treasures.

    (if anyone can make out that word/signature on the pin back, let me know)

    Also have a total edit on above. This is not marked 950 (confused it with another item I'm getting ready to list), it is marked 800.

    Thanks for that link. :)
     
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  4. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

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  5. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    The stamp looks to me like it says UNECHT. I don't speak German & was assuming it was all or part of a maker's name. It's German for 'fake'!!! Either I'm misreading it or there's another letter at the beginning.
     
  6. Lucille.b

    Lucille.b Well-Known Member

    LOL! There seems to be a fragment of at least one missing letter at the start. Also not sure that the 2nd to last letter is an "H", but something to check!!!

    Has anyone ever seen microscopic letters impressed on the pin part of a pin back with the German word for "Fake"?? If this is a thing, I'm definitely going to take a closer look.

    Maybe @Fid would have some ideas.
     
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2020
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  7. aaroncab

    aaroncab in veritate victoria

    Maybe another translation of unecht could be "copy" or "imitation" ?
     
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  8. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    YUMMY!!! HE'S NICE!!!!!:):):)
     
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  9. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    All I did was blow up that stamp a little bit....I THINK there's a partial 'L' at the beginning of the word....but if it's English....it doesn't seem to make sense to me...
    L U N E C N T.....not positive on the last two.....

    Screenshot (7).jpg
     
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  10. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    unecht = in this case only rather pseudo or pretended. fake, phony etc. would be too hard because it's not intended to deceive. maybe used by a good producer to show how good his costume jewellery is made.
     
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  11. tie.dye.cat

    tie.dye.cat Well-Known Member

    Fid, Lucille.b and i need help like this.
  12. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

    0845EDF7-D44A-4DE6-AD9E-9163F298E3B3.jpeg I was afraid to suggest that, as I’ve seen the pin part marked metal, when the rest of the item is precious metal.
    Maybe @Lucille.b can have a look at the body for any marks.
    The one Wenna found seems marked on the body.
     
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  13. Lucille.b

    Lucille.b Well-Known Member

    Wow, super interesting. Great links @tie.dye.cat, and good thoughts everyone!

    The only other mark I noticed was "800" inside the body on the underside. I wonder, would 800 count as "not being made of real silver"?

    This certainly does seem to be German at least.

    No expectations of huge value no matter what, the pin back is a little bent from use so probably looking at $35 at the most, but with the German word, sounding more and more like it is a German 1920's piece.

    From the two links, the first with the set of 7 with an estimate of $1,000-$1,500, the "Unecht" is given no explanation.

    In these two auctions the pins with the UNECHT mark seem to be 20s/30s, which sort of dates the term unless we find others.

    I'm wondering if the description on the Swastika piece is correct (that it indicates "not real silver") as the first thing it says is that there are "faked diamonds". Maybe the "unecht" refers to the faked diamonds?? or in my case Marcasites ? Why would someone fake silver in the 1920's, declare having done so by stamping the tiny closure pin, and then stamp the body 800?

    For what it's worth, the metal feels and behaves like silver. There were a few spots of tarnish that cleaned up to a shiny polish like silver would.

    Didn't think this guy would turn into such a mystery. Interesting!

    Thanks! :)
     
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  14. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    800 IS silver! Just a lower fineness of the alloy than sterling (925.) The question is whether the 800 stamp reflects the true fineness.
     
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  15. tie.dye.cat

    tie.dye.cat Well-Known Member

    I was wondering what was up with that price? That's just a little, um, ambitious if you ask me (that's putting it politely, my first thought was really, "They be crazy!").

    Then again, their description is severely lacking. Which ones are gold? What karat gold? I can't imagine spending that much not knowing the deets on it.
     
    Lucille.b likes this.
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