Featured 1857 Russian Silver Cigarette Box

Discussion in 'Silver' started by Barn Owl, May 27, 2020.

  1. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    I know that Russian silver is rife with fakes and reproductions, but I bought this cigarette case listed as sterling instead of 875, with no reference at all to its origin, so I figured it would be a safe wager. Particularly since it's shape is unique. I found the assayer as Edudard Fedorovich and the city mark as St. Petersburg, but the maker's mark is a mystery to me.
    Worst case scenario, I figure, is that I'm out a bit of money and I get a harsh lesson to boot.
    IMG_5394 (3).JPG
    upload_2020-5-27_3-49-9.png upload_2020-5-27_3-49-54.png upload_2020-5-27_3-48-27.png upload_2020-5-27_3-48-42.png
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: May 27, 2020
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  2. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

    Looks gold washed inside.
    Nice piece. Sorry, I can't help with the marks.
     
  3. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

    Very nice piece!! :happy::happy:

    We have all had those "harsh lessons" & many of us have had more than a couple. ;):p:p :eek::eek::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: :hilarious::hilarious::hilarious:
     
  4. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    @Barn Owl are you talking about this mark?? If so, doesn't part of it look like 2 different kinds of hammers....one with a round weight on the bottom?? Would that be a crowned head in the middle looking right? OK, that's all I've got...........:rolleyes::rolleyes:

    makers MARK-gigapixel-scale-2_00x.jpg
     
  5. April07

    April07 Well-Known Member

    Last edited: May 27, 2020
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  6. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

  7. April07

    April07 Well-Known Member

  8. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    @April07 Could you confirm that the date below the assayer's initials is supposed to be the year in which the item was assayed? If so, this cigarette box is from 1857?

    It does not look to be of that period to me. I would have figured it to be younger - like early 20th century at the earliest.
     
  9. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

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  10. April07

    April07 Well-Known Member

    Yes, 1857 should be the date when the item was assayed.
    It looks consistent with the assayer's initials.
    According to the information that I found so far, Э.Б. - stands for Edward Brandenburg who worked as an assayer in St. Petersburg from 1850 to 1866.
     
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  11. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    Thank you, but it wasn't the assayer/date consistency I was questioning. I questioned whether the box itself is designed in a style that would have been made in the middle1800s.
     
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  12. April07

    April07 Well-Known Member

    That I can't say, I just gave the information I found so far.
     
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  13. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    Oh, sorry, April I was hoping you might know.

    So, anyone else have thoughts on the box itself?
     
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  14. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

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  15. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

    Maybe it's not cigarettes.
    Maybe it's matches, and the outside is the striker.

    @Barn Owl What are the measurements please?
     
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  16. April07

    April07 Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]
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    @Barn Owl This one is from 1862, same maker (ES) as yours.
    The shape is called "envelope".
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2020
  17. April07

    April07 Well-Known Member

    The one on the photos above is listed at 50000 rubles ($700) but yours is in much better condition, of course.
     
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  18. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    Thank you! I'm happy by how pristine the gold wash is.
    Thank you!

    Yeah, I've had too many. I'm beginning to get a bit better at researching, but I recently way overspent on an old pocket watch. :(
    I think it's the St. Petersburg mark. Just one of the orbs is a bit smushed.
    Thank you! I'll take a look.

    Thank you! Now that I know it's ES and not KB like I thought, I hope to find it.
    This is a great resource, thank you, April! I'll save it.
    I was a little surprised too by its age, because I tend to associate the engine-turned designs more with art deco cigarette cases.

    It's 4 inches long and around 2 inches wide, so too big for matches probably.
    Thank you! I'm shocked to see that one is listed at $700. Glad to see another with a similar date mark.
     
  19. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    Using this resource, I found a few it might be based on first and last initials.

    Egor Semenovich, 1868: spr. Prince merchant. councils, 74 g., in the compartment. since 1847, coup. 2nd guild. Address: Mosk. h., Nikolaevskaya st., 106/12, p. D. Starosta silver workshops in 1835/37.

    SELMAN Johann - Eric, 1867: ZDM, Gorokhovaya, 6, apt. 2 (shop).

    SISTONEN Enokh Stepanovich, 1867: ZDM, Karavannaya St., 20, apt. 11.1874: Gold: 36 p. 38 s. Silver: 30g. 1877: Ref. Prince merchant. council, finals. harvest., 40 liters., SDM, in the compartment. from the 2nd floor. 1874, compartment 1st guild. In 1898, Mr .. elected as a deputy to inspect commercial and industrial institutions. 1900–1903 Z. and S .: Sadovaya, 15. Address: Spassk. h., ug. B. Sadovaya and Nevsky, 15-50. Mast. in the same place.

    SISTONEN Eric Johann, (b. 1828 in Finland, d. 1878), in 1847 came to study in St. Petersburg, in 1852 became an apprentice, and in 1868 SDM, 1874: Bronnitskaya St., 19. Silver: 15 p. 3 f. 62 s. In 1899, he presented the assay control department to St. Petersburg. ed. Postnikova — Loseva: hallmarks No. 1583, 1584.
     
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  20. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    not if the bar holding the cigarettes down...is missing..:(;);)
     
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