www.925-1000.com

I purchased this wine taster at a local estate sale.

Not sure if it is silver or silverplate and for me some of the stamps are hard to identify.

It is engraved Louis Sarzin A Belva 1786

[img]https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP ... ARVPVR[img]
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO ... PQWeAcXXRC

Hi,welcome to the forum. Your images are not showing. Embedded images of item and all marks are required.
For information how to attach and embedded images see;
https://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopi ... =5&t=42199

Peter.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/1848/fQMDeA.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/3985/0ipCRZ.jpg

Please let me know if these work. I am following the guide on how to post

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

Always embed your images:





Trev.

Hi,
Unless they are fantasy marks, there is one more mark, very small, far left that looks like French poincon de decharge. Those wine tasters are very popular with the fakers; one must be an expert to identify genuine XVIII pieces.
Better close ups of all marks are needed.
Regards

Thank you I did not see the small mark. Here is a photo of mark. If not clear enough please let me know.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/4043/DV39wB.jpg

Hello
I appreciate how difficult it can be to get sharp images of the marks, especially on a curved surface. However, your photos aren’t clear enough to make an identification.
There should be 4 marks on 18thC French silver: charge, date letter, maker, and discharge. All 4 marks should be in concordance, that is should be those in use together during a specific time and place.
On your item, reading left to right, I see a discharge or export mark, a date letter, a maker, and a charge mark. The maker’s mark is very dirty, so it is impossible for me to make out any initials or a symbol. The charge mark is partially struck.
Are there any marks on the thumb-piece?
If you could give us some more information, we might be able to help. From what I can make out with the information we have now, the maker’s mark would be crucial to determine authenticity of your item.
As AG2012 has stated, wine tasters are popular items to fake.
Regards,

Okay I hope these photos are better. I polished the markings. I did look around the handle for other marks I cannot find any.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/6679/mdmSu0.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/7283/wKfCc0.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/8498/dVxzJe.jpg

As previously requested, please embed your images.

Trev.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/8498/dVxzJe.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/7283/wKfCc0.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/6679/mdmSu0.jpg

Please let me know if they do not post.

Please let me know if I have cleaned the markings enough or if I have to clean more to figure out marks.

Thank you in advance.

Hello
Please excuse the delay in responding. I don’t believe your wine taster dates from the 18th C because of lack of concordance between all the marks. Specifically, from left to right:
-The first mark appears to be an export mark of a ewer, purportedly from 1780-89.
-The second mark of a crowned Y could be a date letter mark for 1762, so already we’re in trouble.
-Third comes the maker’s mark. You’d need all the initials in the mark to determine the maker and his years of operation. I can’t make out any initials with certainly- I or J; D? In any case, not enough to go on using a dictionary of marks such as Nocq.
-Fourth is a purported charge mark. Although poorly stamped (perhaps deliberately) you see a feathered leg of the crowned A, in use 1738-1744.

So you see the marks don’t add up coherently. Furthermore, there are no markings on the thumb piece.

Sorry that I couldn’t be of more help.
Regards.

I grabbed a loop and I can make out initials but not sure if it is 2 or 3 initials. How many are normally on items?
The first two looks like a JD and may be I or F I will do some more cleaning.

Hello
There are normally 2 or 3 initials in the maker’s mark, depending on the name of the maker. In this case, it looks like there might have been 3.

Know that I had the loop out I may have found a mark on thumb area. I though it was a ding.
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/2897/jdz3Yb.jpg

You’re right, the mark on the thumb piece could be anything.