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Christofle is SO confusing!

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Author	Topic: Christofle is SO confusing!
suefromoz Posts: 58 Registered: May 2002	posted 06-10-2002 10:31 AM [01-0711] Hi everyone I have just purchased a very long pair of sugar tongs (5 3/4" length), marked with a square, with a diamond inside and the scales , with C on each side. There is also a thin rectangle with Christofle on the same part of the tongs. There are no other marks. Silver or plate? I can see no sign of wear at all and any slight pitting looks to be silver. I have also got a 7 3/4" pickle fork from the same estate. The marks are a five sided flower shape with something in the center and possibly two tiny letters at the side of that. There is also a very worn, long triangular shape with a design in side that is far too worn to identify. This , too, is supposed to be Christofle, but I am beginning to doubt that. Any clues?? Thanking you all Sue IP: Logged
Brent Posts: 1507 Registered: May 99	posted 06-10-2002 11:17 AM Hi sue, I'm not sure on the Chrostofle, but the fork marks are Austria-Hungarian. The mark on the left is the 800 standard mark used between 1866 and 1922. The character to the right of the woman's head, if you can decipher it, will tell you where the piece was assayed. The other mark is almost certainly a maker's mark. Brent IP: Logged
suefromoz Posts: 58 Registered: May 2002	posted 06-10-2002 07:43 PM Thank you Brent for that grest info. I have turned the stamp the right way up and even managed to get a better picture. The fork has a P on the profile side and , I think it is a 3 or a 2 on the hair side. I have managed to get a very bad pic of the Christofle marks as well. What confuses me, Brent, is that the Christofle silver plated crumb tray, that I had previously, had a zillion marks but this piece only has the two. Does that mean it is silver, not plate? IP: Logged
akgdc Posts: 289 Registered: Sep 2001	posted 06-10-2002 09:52 PM The Austrian forks are silver, but the Christofle flatware, like most Christofle, is silverplate. The marks do vary a bit, but these are definitely for plate. IP: Logged
Brent Posts: 1507 Registered: May 99	posted 06-12-2002 12:17 PM Just to add, the P in the profile mark stands for Pest, now called Budapest, in present-day Hungary. The numeral to the left of the head is a 3, for 3rd standard or 800 fine silver. If it were a 2, the shape of the mark would be different. Brent IP: Logged
Marc Posts: 414 Registered: Jun 2002	posted 06-14-2002 10:46 AM Hi there Sue, I have been dealing in silver and silver plate for 22 years and when it comes to French silver, modern era goods (after 1838), if it is marked and does not have the "minerva head" quality stamp it is silver plated. This is specially true of the large houses such as Christoffle, and Cartier. When they produce silver plated wares, they do it well, so there is wonderfully thick layer of silver over the base metal. I have found that the French are more particular than the British when it comes to marking silver. If you would like to read more, get hold of a TARDY published "International Hallmarks on Silver" in English and look at the 120 page section on French silver. Hope this helps. Marc Cutcher IP: Logged
suefromoz Posts: 58 Registered: May 2002	posted 06-15-2002 12:15 PM Thank you all for your very valuable advice. The only thing I must say is that from a non silver collector, I am starting to amass a rather nice selection of sugar tongs! At least they will never be used and abused here, as I never buy sugar lumps.... And Marc, that is a gem of info to be stored and used. IP: Logged

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