✅ SOLVED Hallmark Help Please

[Indian Steve]

I went to a thrift store yesterday and found a 283.3 gram Sterling bowl for $3 and this other one that doesn't seem like silver but was again only $3. Here is the picture of the unknown piece.

 

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[Red-Coat]

I don't immediately recognise the maker but will do a bit of checking for you. Initial guess would be European and possibly French or German. Good ones are in silver, but they were also made in silver plate...

... It's a "tastevin" cup for checking the quality of wines. Those indentations are a traditional part of the design for these cups. In olden times, tasting was conducted in dimly lit vaults and cellars with nothing more than candles or lanterns for illumination; the indentations served to reflect light into the wine to help judge its colour and clarity.

 

[ArfieBoy]

Another cool find. Congratulations!

 

[Red-Coat]

OK... it's definitely French. The centre mark is incomplete but is for 'METAL BLANC' (literally 'white metal') and an indication for silver plate. There seems to be a large '10' mark to the right (or possibly '18'), which will be an indication for the amount of silver in grams used in the plating bath for a number of items (usually a dozen). The 'GM' mark to the left will be the maker mark but my reference library notes that it's currently unidentified. All I could say for sure is that the style of the marks puts the piece later than 1860 but before 1983.

 

[Indian Steve]

Thanks for all the information. I didn't think it was silver but still to cool to pass up. It was sitting beside this 283.8 gram Sterling bowl.