Featured Dating a Portuguese pill box

Hello all,
I am trying to date and determine silver content of a tiny pill box. What I have read, based on the crown over “F”, seem to indicate it was made in Faro, Portugal prior to 1881 but there is no makers mark and I started to question the “Made in Portugal”. I have seen no reference to pieces being marked that way. It certainly looks like silver and feels like silver but I would like to be sure. I would appreciate any help. Thanks!

 

Lovely pill box, handtohand.

As far as I know the old Faro mark is in a cartouche. It was used until 1887 I think, but that doesn't matter, it certainly pre-dates a 'Made in Portugal' stamp.
So I guess in this case the crowned F is a manufacturers mark.

 

Thanks for the comment Any Jewelry. It is a bit confusing. If the crowned F is a manufacturers mark I am surprised they would use it given it is so similar to a hallmark. Perhaps it is meant to deceive? Who knows.

 

I’m curious about the inside of the box. It almost looks like a different metal and new?

 

I'd think a maker's mark as well.

Debora

 

Tanya, I do not think the inside of the box is a different material but it has some kind of wash on it. I have seen other boxes online with similar washes or sometimes gold washes. I don’t know the rationale for this treatment. It looks new because I don’t think this box was ever used. A few scratches might assist me in taking a peek at what is underneath (-:

 

Thank you! I bought a beautiful box at the Antique market in Amsterdam many years ago and being only a silly young teenager I didn’t open it until I got home. The inside looked a lot like this and I assumed that I had bought a fake all these years.

 

Maybe they didn't know the old Faro mark. Present day manufacturers rarely know historic marks, they don't need to.

Anyone who wished to deceive would copy the old mark, not make one up that had two somewhat similar elements. They would also put it on an old looking item.

 

Thanks all for weighing in.