Persian silver(plated?) box. Need help identifying marks, and other info.

Hi

I have this Persian looking box/case made of an unidentified material/metal. 18 cm x 8 cm x 3 cm and 410 g. Motif from the ancient Persian ceremonial capital of Persepolis. Possibly silver plated? I don't know anything about metals and what different metals look like, especially mixed metals or plating. The box has a few pinkish marks on the lid. Looks like something has been rubbed off? I asked in another group and was told that one of the marks was 84 zolotnik. 840 or 875 silver. But it can't be a silver mark if it is plated or not made of silver at all? And what about the other mark, what does that stand for? Are the marks fakes? Questions, questions, questions Any input is welcome. Thanks for looking! (English is not my first language, so apologies for incorrect spelling and other mistakes).

 

Very nice, Divina. It is real silver, .875 fineness.
The mark on the left says 84 in Farsi. That is confusing, something to do with the history of silversmithing in Iran, but it stands for .875 silver.

 

Really?? What a surprise! Do you know what the pinkish marks are, age, the other mark? Sorry for getting so excited! Oh, and thank you for the reply!!

 

Apologies, I read over this. I wonder if it is copper in the alloy that has worked its way to the surface. Silver is usually mixed with other metals, which is called an alloy.
Is it still there when you polish it?

 

Yes, it is. Falling back down to earth again...not silver? Copper, plated with silver, or still 875? Sorry for all the questions and me not understanding.

 

If it is plated, it is an odd place for wear. Normally wear shows around the edges, corners and bottom of the feet.

This may sound strange, but I wonder if the box is silver and the lid plated.

Can you take it to a jeweller to have it tested? Many jewellers don't charge for tests, try to find one of those.

 

I did a couple of days ago. They made a tiny scratch on the inside of one of the legs, applied a solution to the scratch, wiped it off and said it was not silver. But he couldn't say for sure if the rest of the box is made of silver, but said it was no reason why the rest of the box was silver when the leg was not. I know this is not a scientific test, but I tried the ice cube test. If it is silver the ice should melt really fast when put on silver, and it did.

 

That is all very confusing, isn't it. It would be easier if I had it in hand, but now I can only go by the mark, the look and what you told me.

The mark is for silver. I have never heard of fake Iranian marks, but I'll tag @DragonflyWink for you. She knows more about silvermarks than I do.

 

Thank you for all your help.

 

Thank you. Would that be a Neodymium magnet? If so, I can get one in several diy stores in my town.

 

Silver can tarnish in weird ways in a multitude of colors so it may just be oxidation. It is a very cool looking box.

 

Thanks for the warning. Do the magnet has to be a certain size or thickness? I have found some chromed magnet discs 5 x 2 mm. Would they work?

 

Thank you.

 

I've never had one to use, but ... the box is a puzzle. I can't read Persian marks either, but a punch mark is a punch mark and I've never heard of anyone faking Persian marks either.

 

Sorry, saw I was tagged right before the internet in my neighborhood went out, finally back up.

Likely circa mid 20th century, the Eastern Arabic '84' would be an indicator of .840 fineness, Iranian/Persian silver should be either .840 or .900., which were the two most common qualities of Iranian coinage. The Western '84' marks were likely rooted in Russian zolotnik marks due to their involvement in Iran. The other mark is almost certainly the maker's mark.




If you think it isn't silver, have it XRF tested rather than acid-tested, but it's likely just fine. As AJ suggested, there is probably copper leaching - I have a 19th century sugar & creamer set with lines of pinkish fire-stain that only gets worse with polishing...


~Cheryl

 

Oooh. I'm gonna get my magnet out when I get home and have a play.

 

Thank you so much! This is very interesting and useful information. I had hoped the box was a bit older. Not antique but vintage. But I am glad to have a lot more information than I had.