PLATED AND ELECTROPLATED SILVER MARKS OF FRANCE DOUBL�, PLAQU�E, METAL, METAL BLANC, M�TAL ARGENT� -E - K- |
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created by Giorgio B. owner of www.silvercollection.it �  |
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French solid silver is characterized by series of hallmarks and the presence of the maker's mark in a lozenge/diamond-shaped cartouche. On plated metal a square or rectangular cartouche is used for maker's mark. From 1797 the mark of the "m�tal plaqu�", equivalent to British "Old Sheffield Plate", was a square or rectangular cartouche containing: - the initials of the maker - the word "DOUBL�" or "PLAQU�" - the figure indicating the quantity of silver (optional) The thickness of silver was indicated by a number followed by a small "E", "M" or "EM", as abbreviation of Dixi�me (Tenth). The number represented the percentage of silver relative to the base metal (higher numbers are indicative of the poorest quality of plating) |
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From 1860, to differentiate the "m�tal plaqu�" from the "argenture par d�p�t �lectrolytique", equivalent to British EPNS (Electro Plated Nickel Silver), were used square marks containing: - the initials of the maker and the figure indicating the quantity of silver |
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- the initials of the maker, a symbol and the figure indicating the quantity of silver |
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- the initials of the maker and a symbol accompanied by another cartouche containing the figure of the silver content |
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Sometimes they are accompanied by additional marks with the inscription "METAL" or "METAL BLANC" (WHITE METAL) |
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M�TAL ARGENT� |
| To strengthen consumer protection, the French Parliament voted on July 1, 1983 a law which reformed the Guarantee and codified the conditions of silver hallmarking. In this context it was decided to measure the thickness of silver deposited on the entire surface and to institute minimum standard thicknesses for silverplate. The old mark expressed in grams, which is not compulsory, remains in use. Often it indicates silver weights greater than the new imposed standards. The new square hallmark (applicable from August 1984) therefore guarantees the thickness of the silver layer deposited on the item. The POIN�ON CARR� is the official mark for "m�tal argent�". It is a square containing: - I or II, identifying the first or second quality of manufacture - a symbol identifying the maker - the initials of the maker 
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These are the requirements to be allowed to use the "POIN�ON CARR�" mark and "m�tal argent�" denomination (plating thickness is measured in Micrometers: a micron is one thousandth of a millimeter or 0.001mm). 
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NUMBERS IN FRENCH SILVERPLATE |
| The meaning of numbers in French silverplate marks has changed over time: 1797 - c. 1860 number accompanied by "E", "M" or "EM" (meaning Dixi�me / tenth) in the upper right corner. This number is the percentage of silver used to plate the copper ingot (plating was made using the system known in the UK as "Old Sheffield Plate") c. 1860 - 1983 number alone or accompanied by "G" or "GR". This is the number of grams of silver used to plate a single item or a dozen of spoons or forks (referred to the process of silver electroplating which has supplanted the OSP system) after 1983 "Roman" numbers I or II in a corner. This number identifies the first or second quality of "m�tal argent�". The quality of the plating is determined by the microns of silver present on the item (a micron is one thousandth of a millimetre or 0.001mm). |
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FRENCH SILVERPLATE MARKS DIRECTORY BY INITIALS/SYMBOLS DIRECTORY BY NAMES MAKER'S MARK INITIAL: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z - |
FRENCH SILVERPLATE MAKERS' MARKS |
 EB and an hourglass / un sablier 
Brille Henri Emile, 12 rue Debelleyme, Paris, active from 1930
EC L and a wreath / une gerbe 
Chauvin & Lacombe, 8 rue de Braque, Paris, active c. 1920
EC Vve and a running rabbit / un lapin courant 
Veuve L�ontine Comp�re, 79 rue Quincampoix, Paris, widow of Ernest Comp�re (1868-1888) active 1888-1911
EH and a stirrup / un �trier 
Herm�s Emile, 21 rue Boissy d'Anglas, Paris, active from 1922
EP and a pocket knife / un couteau de poche 
Puiforcat Emile, company founded in Paris in 1820 by Emile Puiforcat and his two cousins. Owes most of its renown to Jean Puiforcat (1897-1945), who established the company in the avant-garde of modern silverwork
E PROST and a fork / une fourchette 
Prost Ernest, 68 quai des Orf�vres, Paris, active c.1913. Successor to Laigniez-Sollier "A la gerbe d'or"
E.V. METAL or ARGENTA into a shield and a lion / dans un blason et un lion 
Varet E., 5 rue des Haudriettes, Paris, active c. 1900
 FC and a crown / une couronne 
Ch�ron F�lix, factory active in M�ry-sur-Oise (Seine-et-Oise, north of Paris). Founded by F�lix Ch�ron, manufacturer of "Couverts de M�ry" on its own base metal "Blanc M�ry". Bought after bankrupt by Christofle in 1877 maintaining Cheron as director
FELIX Fres FELIX FRERES 
F�lix Fr�res, 1 rue Alsace, Toulouse, active c. 1875
FF and a croissant / un croissant 
Frionnet Fran�ois, 8 rue des Quatre-Fils, Paris, succeeded to Frionnet Albert in 1944
FF and a winged lion / un lion ail� 
Maker not identified
FF sorrounding a mallet / entourant un maillet 
Maker not identified
FL and a crescent moon, an arrow, a star below / un croissant de lune, une fl�che, une �toile en dessous 
Levrat Fran�ois, Paris, active from 1811
F.N and a six pointed star in a sun / une �toile � six branches dans un soleil 
Nicolle Fred., 175 rue du Temple, Paris, active c. 1900
FO and map of France / Carte de France 
St� France Orf�vrerie, 36 Avenue de S�bastopol, Paris, active from 1949
FONTALIRANT and a crescent under a star / un croissant horizontal surmont� d'une �toile 
Fontalirant A.,
 GALLIA and a rooster / un coq 
Gallia a trade mark of Christofle
G (Gothic) into a crowned shield / dans un �cu couronn� 
Gombault, Gombault & F. Ch�ron, 66 rue du Marais, Paris GC and a hammer / un marteau Maison Vve Ch. Halphen Desclercs successors of Gombault & Cheron. The Gombault mark was used on "maillechort extra blanc non argent�". Both were part of Manufacture de l'Alfenide GANDAIS and "DOUBL�" into a square 
Gandais Jacques Augustin, active c.1834
GB and a stool / un tabouret 
Boin - Taburet, 3 rue Pasquier, Paris, active c. 1900
GB and a dog into a square / un chien dans un carr� 
Beno�t Georges, 5 rue du Perche, Paris, active from 1922
GC and a sword / une �p�e 
Carpentier Gustave fils, 40 quai Jemmapes, Paris, active from 1922
GC and a cross of Lorraine / une croix double de Lorraine 
Chevalier Gustave, 3 rue Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth, Paris, active from 1886
GD and a silversmith's hammer / un marteau d'orf�vre 
Maker not identified
G.D. and a wolf dog head / une t�te de chien loup 
Dufour Gaston, 103 boulevard de m�nilmontant, Paris, active from 1946
GD or GR and a cup flanked by two dolphins / une coupe flanqu�e de deux dauphins 
Cavy, Successors to Gallonde & Renou
GD and a press / une presse 
Durousseau G. (possibly), Lyon, possible predecessor of Durousseau & Raynaud
GD and a star / une �toile 
Delpech Gaston, 8 rue Pastourelle, Paris, active c. 1919
GFL and a chisel / un ciseau d'orf�vre 
Fouquet-Lapar George, 25 rue de Choiseul, Paris, active 1897-1925. Succeeded to his father in law Leon Lapar
GFres and crossed hammer and brush over a star / un marteau et brosse crois�e surmontant une �toile 
Gonthier Jeune & Cie, factory in Amiens
GG and a boxer / un boxeur 
Gay Gabriel & Cie, Grenoble
GG and a star / une �toile 
Giacobbi Georges, 38 rue des Blancs Manteaux, Paris, active from 1919
GM 
Maker not identified
G.R. and an eagle / un aigle 
Maker not identified
GR and a winged helmet / un casque ail� 
Maker not identified
GR and an engraver tool with a star / un boulet de graveur surmont� d'une �toile 
Rocher Georges, 31 rue de Debelleyme, Paris, active 1920-1924
GV and a van / un van 
Van den Bogaert Guillaume, 12 rue de Crussol, Paris, active from 1904
GW and the word FRANCIA / le mot FRANCIA 
Well George, 24 rue B�ranger, Paris, mark registered in 1938. Known a similar mark with the word LUTETIA (registered in 1936)
 H&Cie and a rosebud above, a star below the initials / un bouton de rose au-dessus, une �toile au-dessous des initiales 
H�nin & Cie, 77 rue des Archives, Paris, active from 1896. Succeeded to H�nin & Vivier
H.B and a bird / un oiseau 
Babarit Henri, 8 Boulevard des Italiens and 96 rue de Rivoli (Au Cadran Lumineux), Paris, active c. 1900Factory at Villers-le-Lac, Doubs H.Fres and a flower / un fleur � 9 p�tals 
Hauser Fr�res, 153 rue Parmentier, Paris, active c. 1900
HK and a grasshopper pierced by an arrow / une sauterelle transperc�e d'une fl�che 
Kindberg Henry, Paris, active 1824-1838
HL and an olive branch / une branche d'olivier 
Landenwetsch Henri, 37 rue du Chemin Vert, Paris, active c. 1904
HL and a windmill / un moulin � vent 
Legrand Hom�re, 21 rue d'Amiette � Sannois, Paris, active c. 1923
HS and a rising sun / un soleil levant 
Soufflot Henri, 89 rue de Turbigo, Paris, active from 1884-1910
 IM AM and a mallet / un maillet 
Mailhan & Mailhan (possibly)
 J & Cie and a bird (jay) / un geai 
Jaymes & Cie, 14 rue Charlot, Paris, active c. 1920
JA and an arrow / une fl�che 
Allard Philippe Joseph , orf�vre, banquier, directeur de la Monnaie - Bruxelles 1804-1877
JACQUIN and two opposite heads / deux t�tes oppos�es 
Jacquin Alf.
JB and a star over a lyre / une �toile, une lyre au-dessus 
J. Brille, 59 rue Fontaine-au-Roi and 12 rue Debelleyme, Paris. Successor to Henry Brille (active c.1920s as Orbrille)
JDT and a tower / une tour 
Della Torre Joseph, rue de Montcel, Auvers sur Oise (S et O), active from 1932
JH and a bell / une cloche 
Haskelson Jean, 14 rue de Debelleyeme, Paris, active c. 1921
JM and a gabion / un gabion 
Moucheront Jean, 24 rue Beaubourg, Paris, active first quarter 20th century
JP 
Maker not identified
J.P and a ram / un b�lier 
Julien Pierre, 32 rue de l'Acqueduc, Paris, active c. 1900. Orf�vrerie "au b�lier"
JR and a sitting squirrel / un �cureuil assis 
Rocher Jules, 75 rue des Gravilliers, Paris, active 1884-1927. Succeeded by G. Durant
 K&Cie, under a +, over a star / un + et une �toile au-dessus 
Kahn & Compagnie, 1156 faubourg Poissonni�re, Paris, active late 19th/early 20th century
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FRENCH SILVERPLATE MARKS DIRECTORY BY INITIALS/SYMBOLS DIRECTORY BY NAMES MAKER'S MARK INITIAL: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z - |
DIRECTORY OF FRENCH SILVERSMITHS HALLMARKS
REPERTOIRE DES ORFEVRES FRANCAIS AA AH B CA CG D EA EJ F GA GH HA HG I JA JH K LA LH MA MH N O PA PH Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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This is a page of A Small Collection of Antique Silver and Objects of vertu, a 1500 pages richly illustrated website offering all you need to know about antique silver, sterling silver, silverplate, sheffield plate, electroplate silver, silverware, flatware, tea services and tea complements, marks and hallmarks, articles, books, auction catalogs, famous silversmiths (Tiffany, Gorham, Jensen, Elkington, WMF, Reed & Barton, Mappin & Webb, Bateman Family), history, oddities ... SITE MAP SILVER DICTIONARY |
