Featured 1730s Prussian silver goblet - Hallmarked in Berlin (??)

Discussion in 'Silver' started by Shangas, Mar 23, 2017.

  1. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    13 loth is 813 according to this page:
    http://www.925-1000.com/a_Standards.html

    It looks pretty old to me.
    If it isn't that old, the bear mark is a fake, but that seems to have natural wear just like the other mark.
    What I know of Dutch silver fakes, of which there are a lot, is that they are abundantly stamped, as if more marks lend more credibility. This one isn't.
    But then again it isn't Dutch. By the way, most Dutch silver fakes were produced in the 19th century, and have some value as 'genuine' antique fakes.
     
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  2. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    NIIIIIIIIICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:happy::happy::happy::happy:
     
  3. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    do they back up that claim.....and how ?
     
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  4. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    This is from the 925-1000.com site, and they said...

    ...and...

    What do I think? I think it doesn't add up.

    The mark is clearly a bear in an oval, WITHOUT A LETTER as anyone can see. All the marks in the link he provided are bears with letters, which is NOT what I have. So I'm still not convinced that it isn't early 18th century.
     
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  5. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    Looks like whoever chased the designs on the goblet was a bit drunk,they lean to the right.Probably drunk stamping the other mark next to the bear.
     
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  6. moreotherstuff

    moreotherstuff Izorizent

    The picture of the interior makes it look like there's a button on the bottom. Is that true?
     
  7. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    Yeah, and if you press it, then it becomes SuperGoblet, destined to save drinkware the world-over!

    ...No, there's nothing there. The stem is also hollow.
     
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  8. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    Given how tiny and worn that bear punch is, it really doesn't surprise me that it doesn't appear to have a letter on his back.

    And I do understand his point about "how made" and "how decorated" being important indicators. I just have never seen (that I know of) a piece of German silver of the age you and Any Jewelry were speculating and which the responder seems to have some experience with.
     
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  9. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    My point is that, if there was a letter, it would be INSIDE the borders of the bear-mark. That's what every other mark looks like. And there's clearly nothing there.
     
  10. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

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  11. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Here is part of a page from a French book on silver marks called
    "POINCONS D'ARGENT" by TARDY, 19th edition
    I copied the picture from a German eBay page:

    [​IMG]

    Debut XVIII means the beginning of the 18th century. According to this book other marks are added inside the bear circle as early as 1735.
    It looks like your bear may also have had the little ring on its back that is shown in the 'debut XVIII' stamps.
    Here is the eBay page: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Berlin-18-Ja...553254?hash=item33caba8426:g:6BoAAOSwPCVYBy~Z
     
  12. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

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  13. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    This is probably a very stupid question.

    What's the difference between a goblet, and a chalice?
     
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  14. afantiques

    afantiques Well-Known Member

    Find someone with an XRF metal analyser and see what the actual metal alloy and silver content is. Scrap yards and pawn shops or big gold and silver buyers may have one.
     
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  15. afantiques

    afantiques Well-Known Member

    The only difference between a goblet and a chalice is the use they are put to, really. Use a goblet for communion and it's a chalice, take it home and chug-a-lug a pint of wine and it's a goblet again.
     
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  16. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Af, you beat me to it, I was typing too much, but here it is:
    A chalice has a ritual significance.
    I have seen similar shaped goblets listed as 'Abendmahlskelche'. Kelche is German for chalice, Abendmahl - literally evening meal - is the German term for the Christian communion, usually in the Lutheran Protestant tradition. Many Germans are Lutheran. Chalices are very important to Lutherans, because according to Martin Luther (founder of Lutheranism) the communion was the deepest experience of God's grace.
     
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  17. afantiques

    afantiques Well-Known Member

    I'm quite sure I'd need way more than a sip of wine to feel grace.

    And she'd need a pint or two before she'd let me.
     
  18. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    I'm certain that it is silver, but I'd still like to know how old it is. I'm going to say 18th century going by the hallmarks I've seen, unless someone can definitively prove otherwise.
     
    judy likes this.
  19. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    As budding theologians we had a lot of fun with religious terms in our day, and I must say, especially the Lutheran ones. Thank you Martin Luther.
     
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