Featured 17th Century Silver Cup

New to these boards but have been collecting for close to 13 years. Looking at this silver cup but need some help with the mark. Alleged to be from 1600’s

 

No expert on silver, but did cups in any material look like that in the 1600's?
I'm pretty sure they didn't!

How big is this sucker BTW?

Oh and welcome aboard!

 

have you had it tested for silver content ?

 

I wonder if that mark is a pineapple. They were a fashionable novelty in the 17thC.

This painting, from that period, Shows King James being presented with one home grown:


I think it's possible that the cup is that old, but from me it's conjecture.

 

I know that the germans made silver tankards in the 1600’s. This is about the size of a demitasse cup though, about 2.5 inches.

 

It looks like a pineapple to me as well.

 

No not tested. The silver content could assist with identification though.

 

Look at the Augsburg city mark on this page. It's a pine cone.

https://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_marks_b1884.html

 

So, it is german albeit 18th century, likely. I am guessing they meant 1700’s, not 17th century.

 

German yes, but not necessarily 18th century. There is no letter below that mark (which started in 1724 according to the site) so it could be earlier than that.

 

In my opinion it is certainly not that early, as it has a handle. Originally tea was drunk from tea bowls, see many early Worcester examples, they had no handles and evolved into the 'modern' form in the 19th C.

I suspect this is Eastern or Middle eastern and no earlier than 1850, probably more like 1900.

 

Early 19th century Meissen (sticking with the German theme) tea cups often had handles but will plead ignorance to more specific knowledge on dating this cup.

 

Looks like wriggle engraving under the G and pine cone,someone must have tested for silver at one time.

 

and this one too. stating it is 17th Century

 

Thank you for this solid research!

 

Looks like a 'tremolierstich' - an assay scrape. Don't believe I'd discount late 17th century - suspect this is an Augsburg tumbler with the handle a much later addition. Can poke around for some info a bit later...

~Cheryl

 

Don't know how accurate this site is
http://hallmarkwiki.com/?country=Germany&province=Augsburg