Knife and Fork, citymark of Dordrecht?

[Vantlicht]

Knife and fork with silver handles. If I am right the citymark of Dordrecht? But an maker of LB crown is not in my books in Dordrecht. Help is appreciated.

[oel]

The marks are ​n​ot used in Dordrecht​ during the guild period. ​W​e also find no clues in Belgian hallmarks and French hallmarks​ used during the ancien régime. In the latter case, the rose would be a​ t​ownmark, but ​w​e cannot find​ a​ match in the Belg​i​an ​nor ​i​n the French ​literature about silver hallmarks.
The crowned rose used does not match that of Dordrecht: those cartouches have straight sides and a round bottom. In the mark used on​ the cutlery​ set, the contour runs directly around the leaves of the rose. This corresponds to the false city hallmark of Dordrecht that was used on "old" spoons. See page 100 ​of Hans Breet's book; De Dordtse Roos Zilversmeedkunst in Dordrecht 1495-1807 .


The master's mark used is also unknown in Dordrecht. Most 18th century Dordrecht master's marks are known, but this one is not among them. There is also no relationship with the name of a silversmith and the letters L and B.
​


The hatchet duty mark.
The hatchet, the 1853 duty mark for old silver objects of national origin returned to the trade. In accordance with several resolutions with further clarifications, this mark was intended for objects with the hallmarks of the ancient Netherlands silversmiths companies, of Louis Napoleon's Kingdom of Holland, of the French Republic, of the French Empire until the end of 1813, of Maastricht and Liège 1814-1815, and of the former Southern Netherlands. In accordance with these resolutions even objects with marks which clearly had been struck in France and the present Belgium were to be considered national and thus exempt from import duty and double marking duty. Later it was decided that objects with this hatchet mark were to be considered as equal to guaranteed objects, and were thus permitted to be exposed for sale in the showcases for guaranteed objects. The use of this mark was abolished in 1927 for two reasons: 1st . The lack of knowledge of the old marks has caused this mark to be sometimes struck on old foreign objects. 2nd. This mark had often been counterfeited and used to give objects an antique aura.


​Unless proven otherwise ​w​e therefore think that these are false hallmarks.

​Peter.


Thanks to the information provided by Hans Breet​, the author of De Dordtse Roos Zilversmeedkunst in Dordrecht 1495-1807