Need help with mystery mark

Does anyone have any information about either of these marks?
I believe this is either a sterling or silverplate tea strainer.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Welcome Rosie!

The look of the strainer and the MS over star inside a shield make me think Dutch, but I would expect a Dutch piece to have at least a few more markings. They are often spread out, instead of appearing all in a row like British marks do. Have you looked over the entire item carefully?

I can't tell what the marking to the right of the shield is, but someone else may have an idea.

 

European hallmarks typically come in sets of four or five.

It's usually stuff like:

Assay mark.
Date letter.
Maker's mark.
Fineness mark.

And then after that come other marks like duty marks, import marks, etc.

If it's a real antique piece of silver, you'd expect to see at least the first four listed there, and possibly some of the others. On some big pieces it can be tricky to find them - especially if it's heavily decorated.

 

Looks like a french mark. A bit like the town mark for La Rochelle. French marks can sometimes be very difficult to decipher if they are badly struck.

 

My thoughts are French also. I thought the animal head mark on the right would be the silver guarantee mark and the mark on the left a city mark or maker's mark. Welllll I can't find these particular marks. The silver guarantee marks for France are the Minerva head for large items and boar's head for small items. The mark on the right looks like neither. I guess it could be a boar's head, but just doesn't look quite right. It looks more like a dog's head.

The mark on the left isn't the right shape punch for a maker's mark. If sterling the maker's mark would be diamond shape and if silverplate the shape would be a rectangle or square. The city marks of France don't look like this either, at least I can't find one like this online or in Tardy's International Hallmarks on Silver.

http://www.925-1000.com/Ffrench_menu.html

 

The right mark looks a little like these. Not saying it's right though.
http://www.silvercollection.it/FRENCHHALLMARKSOLD.html

 

The reason why I suggested Dutch, is the maker's mark which is shown in Example A under Hallmarking on this page.

http://www.925-1000.com/Fnetherlands_Date_Code.html

It is entirely possible that the other mark is French IF we can find a French guarantee mark for the period of the French occupation of Holland (1795 - 1813) that resembles it at least in shape. I still think the OP should look the item all over for other marks.

 

Or maybe import mark?


France,Paris
1781-1789
Import mark: Parrot or eagle head silver hallmark

http://hallmarkwiki.com/?ShowHallmark=8105

 

Someone on eb pointed out this strainer with MS star and a lion rampant.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Sco...077513?hash=item43f9ff7609:g:5x8AAOSwl9BWIRm0

 

The seller is misinformed, IMHO. Scottish from Glasgow, my foot.

 

Gee, you are certain right, Bake. Example A certainly has Dutch maker's (Hendrik Vrijman) mark that is a shield with initials and a star.

--- Susan

 

Did find a Dutch silversmith using the initials "MS." It was a "Meine Stuart located in the city of Zwartsluis province of Overijssel." According to following query on the 925-1000 silver forum he was registered from 1820-1859 using various marks. The mark pictured is a square punch with MS 41 and a star or asterisk and the date letter mark is for 1843. I realize this is too late for the French occupation of Holland, but possibly Stuart was smithing during that occupation using other marks??
See 4th pic and the reply:
http://925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33368

--- Susan

 

I did find mention of a maker Henricus F. Simon, not the same type of mark though.

http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32028

The town mark of Breda is based on the coat of arms; three Andreas crosses, one Andreas cross under 2 horizontal crosses, seen crowned and uncrowned. Date letter F for 1807, makers mark HS for; Henricus F. Simon, the number 7 in a crowned shield =1807, town mark Breda.

 

Scottish, it ain't. The style looks Dutch to me with all that fanciness. I'm with Dutch made and French parrot head import mark.

It's not true to say that all European marks come in sets of four or five. Even British ones don't.

 

I've carefully looked over the entire piece and there are no other marks. Thank you for all the help so far.