Hello- I’m trying to figure out the hallmarks on this pair of silver candlesticks. The story that was passed through family is that they were made by Napoleon’s silversmith, but I’ve looked into the marks of his known silversmiths (Odiot, etc.) and they do not match. The closest I can find is that they may be 18th century Strasbourg marks? I also can’t find any info on the Mezger/Metzger mark. Can anyone help me out?
Thank you in advance!
Definitely Metzger.
https://www.ebay.com.my/itm/144675655476
Even though the name is misspelled?
ETA: Even though the style of the name is completely different?
Even though there’s nothing about any hallmarks on the eBay item?
Seems to me that you’ve seen the same common German name on two objects, and summarily concluded that they’re from the same maker, without anything more.
(To say nothing of the danger of relying on the description in any eBay listing - they’re often hilariously wrong.)
But at least I’m doing something instead of whining…
Misdirection isn’t really very helpful. Baseless speculation isn’t much use, either.
But that’s no reason to give up and not try to find answers.
Of course not. But if all we can do is take wild guesses and then post them as authoritative “answers,” we’re better off not saying anything.
A wrong answer is worse than no answer. It misleads the OP, and when it’s later discovered on a Google search, the error gets propagated ad infinitum.
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Being ignorant, I was puzzled by the 13.
It seems the number was part of a pre-1886 Assay of silver purity found on German and Prussian silver. The ‘Lot’ system divided silver purity into 16 parts - 16 parts being pure silver (1000), 13 lots being .812, 12 lots .750. The number was associated with a city mark, as with the shield shown in the images.
In 1884 a law was enacted making .800 the minimum standard, and abolishing the ‘Lot’ system and the city mark.
I cannot find a shield for a city like yours.
Could you post a close-up of it?
Thank you all for the feedback. After doing a bunch of research, I figured out that the “double wheel in a shield” mark is the city mark for Mainz, Germany (pre 1886). I don’t know why the 13 loth mark has a crown though.
Apparently Mainz was a part of France between 1797-1816. That leads me to think the candlesticks date from sometime between 1816 and 1886, but I’m leaning towards earlier, because the style is so indicative of French Empire.