Dutch Silver Miniature Settee, 1847-1905, 39g
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Date Letter on Silver - A date letter is a letter or symbol that is used to mark silver and other precious metals to indicate the year in which the piece was made. The date letter system is used by the British hallmarking system and it is a way to verify that a piece of silver is genuine and has been assayed (tested) by an official assay office.
The date letter system has been in use since the 14th century and it changes every year, so it is possible to identify the year in which a piece of silver was made by looking at the date letter. The date letter is usually stamped alongside other hallmarks such as the maker's mark, and the standard mark (indicating the fineness of the metal) on the silver piece. The style of the letters varies depending on the assay office, and the style of the lettering also changes over time. The date letter is usually placed inside a shield shape, sometimes accompanied by other symbols.
The date letter system is not used in all countries, so if a piece of silver does not have a date letter, it does not necessarily mean it is not authentic. The date letter system is not always used for small or insignificant silver items.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
A WMF Art Nouveau/classical silver plate and cut glass comport, the tapered hexagonal column to the conforming spreading rectangular base supporting the pierced and embossed bowl frame with sweeping handles, supporting the fitted conforming cut glass bowl
A Chinese silver four-piece service, 19th/20th century, (4), comprising a teapot and cover, a milk jug, a two handled sugar basin and a tray, each piece supported on a widely splayed foot and decorated in relief on a finely punched ground with leafy bamboo
A Victorian mahogany four branch hall stand with eight turned coat pegs, central flap-top compartment and a pair of umbrella stands with original drip trays. Height 186 cm
A Mont Blanc Pix black Rollerball pen, ref., MB 114797, boxed with original packaging and booklet, unused.