Featured Unknown Silver Marks....Hanau or Chinese Export?

Hi everyone, this is a small box I purchased. I'm leaning toward either Hanau or Chinese Export for this piece. I've never seen a right facing lion before. I know there are some excellent silver experts on this forum. Can anyone tell me the origins and date for this box? Thanks so much!

 

Dutch for sure, IMHO. The W is the date letter.

There do appear to be at least a couple more small, probably worn circular marks above the lion passant and the letters (maker's mark, I think.) and something else below. Dutch marks are almost invariably spread out, rather than being all together.

 

Compare your W to the ones contained in the linked page I need help posted above. I guesstimate it could be the 1931, but don't hold me to that. I've just put in my afternoon eye drops and can't really focus all that well right now.

 

Thank you Bakersgma and Ineedhelp. That is a big help! I appreciate it immensely.

 

Looks to me like a nice 1856 snuff box, .833 fineness - the maker's mark is just a bit too rubbed for me to make out, perhaps AJ will have better luck...

~Cheryl

 

1856? Cool! Thanks so much DragonflyWink. Hopefully the maker's mark is not too rubbed off to be able to tell who made it. Thanks again.

 

Based on the 'W', my guess would be 1856:

 

Bad reference picture,it doesn't look like either.

 

It looks like 1856, and it is.






Thread on snuff box bearing the date-mark above: https://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=35988


~Cheryl

 

Lovely little box, moon.

I agree, it is 1856. I can't read the maker's mark either, it could be SG and two digits, but I couldn't find any mark that resembled it. Marks made up of two letters and two digits are found on 19th century silver.

In Dutch silver these small squarish boxes are peppermint boxes. Dutch snuff boxes are also small, but they are rectangular or oval.
Here is a peppermint box from the same period, the site is in Dutch, but to give you an idea:

https://zilver.nl/antiek-zilver/zilveren-pepermuntdoosje-uit-1850.html

Zilveren pepermuntdoosje means silver peppermint box.

 

Ahhh, thank you for the distinction, AJ. My wish list includes a lodereindoosje, and/or a hovedvandsæg\luktevannshus (a scent-heart in particular) - so far, haven't found any that appeal to my thrifty nature....

~Cheryl

 

I have one, passed down through the family. It is part of a his and hers wedding present, 'his' is a matching pipe nail/tamper:



The site I posted also has some nice lodereindoosjes.

 

Ohhh, those are lovely, and and such wonderful heirlooms!

~Cheryl

 

Thank you for all the comments. Very helpful and I am so pleased to wake up to so much great information! After researching the links yall graciously provided for me, I am in agreement with an 1856 date. I never would have thought it would be a peppermint box, anyjewelry! Thanks for that information as well. The maker's mark, to my eye, looks like a "GG" and there are a few companies that have that mark....I'm trying to narrow those down and might get there! Thanks again for "solving the mystery".

 

Unusual, I agree. From ca 1790 Dutch people used peppermint tablets for medicinal reasons, often as a digestive aid or to feel invigorated. Ca 1840 these square boxes were introduced, specifically for peppermint. Regular pill boxes were usually round, as they were almost everywhere.