French revolutionary hallmark?

PHOTOS REQUIRED - marks + item
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DoCho
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2024 10:39 am

French revolutionary hallmark?

Post by DoCho »

I'm intrigued by a hallmark on the piedouche of a chocolate cup. This hallmark appears to be an eagle's head facing left.

Is this a hallmark of the silversmiths' association from 1798 (https://www.silvercollection.it/frenchhallmarks.html; les orfèvres de Louis XIII à Charles X )?
Or a census hallmark for the departments of 1809 (Raibaud Traité de la garantie ; Tardy ; https://www.silvercollection.it/ASCASRECENSE.html )?

The cup also bears the hallmarks of a Parisian silversmith -Pierre Leplain, the 1st Coq and the Guarantee of Paris 1798-1809, the head of a Greek woman.

Thank you for your opinions.

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dognose
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Re: French revolutionary hallmark?

Post by dognose »

Hi,

Your images do not appear to be showing. Remember to use the Preview feature.

https://postimages.org (choose 'Share', then copy the 'Hotlink for forums' code) is recommended. Do not use Photobucket or Dropbox.

Trev.
DoCho
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2024 10:39 am

Re: French revolutionary hallmark?

Post by DoCho »

Here are the two photographs


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bijoux.expert
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Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2022 10:37 am
Location: Paris, France

Re: French revolutionary hallmark?

Post by bijoux.expert »

The eagle's head facing left was used in 1809 in the French departments as a census mark on medium-sized gold and silver objects.
When the new hallmarks were introduced in 1809, a census was decreed to be held from 1 September to 1 November 1809. The census marks were affixed: firstly on works which were inventoried in year VII, in execution of article 32 of the law of 19 Brumaire Year VI; secondly on those which had been manufactured since that time and marked with the standard and excise marks which had just been renewed; thirdly on works bearing the ET hallmark, which served as a census in the departments united with the Empire; and fourthly on works coming from abroad and which have been marked with the ET hallmark in accordance with article 23 of the aforementioned law9
DoCho
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2024 10:39 am

Re: French revolutionary hallmark?

Post by DoCho »

Thank you very much for these details on the "poinçons de recense".
Yours sincerely
DoCho
bijoux.expert
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Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2022 10:37 am
Location: Paris, France

Re: French revolutionary hallmark?

Post by bijoux.expert »

As a matter of interest, my research indicates there's no truth to or evidence for the popular suggestion that certain hallmarks found were private marks made by the French silversmith's association.

It appears these marks should be considered more as assay marks, possibly arranged by silversmiths to prove the title of the various components of items so that they wouldn't be damaged by the assay office once assembled. These marks are always found in conjunction with official hallmarks, and they can sometimes be found on objects for which the maker was not registered until well after 1809. These facts are not compatible with the suggestion they were used during a period when no official hallmarks existed.
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