Featured 950 Silver marcasite lizard --can anyone make out the stamp?

Lizard or gecko stamped 950.

Tiny letters on the closure pin where pencil is pointing. (Close-up in following photo) Can anyone make this out?

 

This one LOOKS like yours (going by the design itself and placement of marcasites; more or less identical I think), but no mention of marks...
https://www.antiquejewellerycompany.com/shop/silver-marcasite-lizard-brooch-5/

 

@wenna Thank you. Holding the one I have in my hand next to the photos of that listing, it is a dead ringer for mine. An exact copy.

That sold one says 1920s Germany.

It was interesting as I did some preliminary research, I found several ones that were listed as older. At first assumed more recent, I think they started making these again in the 1970s or 90s when marcasites started popping up in modern jewelry. But can say that the one I have does seem to be high quality, and came from the estate of a wealthy former owner who had some real treasures.

(if anyone can make out that word/signature on the pin back, let me know)

Also have a total edit on above. This is not marked 950 (confused it with another item I'm getting ready to list), it is marked 800.

Thanks for that link.

 

I think it was Butler & Wilson that revived that technique in the 1970s.

https://www.butlerandwilson.co.uk/pages/about-us

And they've done a number of variations of the lizard brooch since then. This is 1980s.

Debora

 

The stamp looks to me like it says UNECHT. I don't speak German & was assuming it was all or part of a maker's name. It's German for 'fake'!!! Either I'm misreading it or there's another letter at the beginning.

 

LOL! There seems to be a fragment of at least one missing letter at the start. Also not sure that the 2nd to last letter is an "H", but something to check!!!

Has anyone ever seen microscopic letters impressed on the pin part of a pin back with the German word for "Fake"?? If this is a thing, I'm definitely going to take a closer look.

Maybe @Fid would have some ideas.

 

Maybe another translation of unecht could be "copy" or "imitation" ?

 

YUMMY!!! HE'S NICE!!!!!

 

All I did was blow up that stamp a little bit....I THINK there's a partial 'L' at the beginning of the word....but if it's English....it doesn't seem to make sense to me...
L U N E C N T.....not positive on the last two.....

​

 

unecht = in this case only rather pseudo or pretended. fake, phony etc. would be too hard because it's not intended to deceive. maybe used by a good producer to show how good his costume jewellery is made.

 

For whatever it's worth:

https://doyle.com/sites/default/files/pdf/catalogue/2016-10-24/16LA02-catalogue.pdf



and...

https://www.ratisbons.com/shop/militaria/verschickte-artikel/third-reich-swastika-ladies-brooch.html

Third Reich swastika ladies brooch

Description
Fine brooch showing a swastika with period time faked diamonds. The pin is UNECHT stamped which indicates it is not made of real silver. 100% period time brooch. Nice condition.

 

Wow, super interesting. Great links @tie.dye.cat, and good thoughts everyone!

The only other mark I noticed was "800" inside the body on the underside. I wonder, would 800 count as "not being made of real silver"?

This certainly does seem to be German at least.

No expectations of huge value no matter what, the pin back is a little bent from use so probably looking at $35 at the most, but with the German word, sounding more and more like it is a German 1920's piece.

From the two links, the first with the set of 7 with an estimate of $1,000-$1,500, the "Unecht" is given no explanation.

In these two auctions the pins with the UNECHT mark seem to be 20s/30s, which sort of dates the term unless we find others.

I'm wondering if the description on the Swastika piece is correct (that it indicates "not real silver") as the first thing it says is that there are "faked diamonds". Maybe the "unecht" refers to the faked diamonds?? or in my case Marcasites ? Why would someone fake silver in the 1920's, declare having done so by stamping the tiny closure pin, and then stamp the body 800?

For what it's worth, the metal feels and behaves like silver. There were a few spots of tarnish that cleaned up to a shiny polish like silver would.

Didn't think this guy would turn into such a mystery. Interesting!

Thanks!

 

800 IS silver! Just a lower fineness of the alloy than sterling (925.) The question is whether the 800 stamp reflects the true fineness.

 

I was wondering what was up with that price? That's just a little, um, ambitious if you ask me (that's putting it politely, my first thought was really, "They be crazy!").

Then again, their description is severely lacking. Which ones are gold? What karat gold? I can't imagine spending that much not knowing the deets on it.