One POUND Fourteen Ounces of 800 Silver / Maker ID Help

[Indian Steve]

While i was at my daughters screening in a porch, my wife hit a local thrift store and picked up this 1 pound 14 ounce 800 silver platter! Can anyone help with the ID of the maker and possible age? Thanks

 

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[captain flintlock]

What a great piece. I believe it to be German or maybe Belgium. Pre WWII. The three stars is attributed to a particular maker family of some sorts but I don’t have any more time to research. It definitely warrants more research and I think it’s a special piece. Great find!!

 

[Indian Steve]

Thanks Captain!

 

[Johnnybravo300]

Wow cool. My wife has scored a few silver Rosie's out of coinstar when I wasnt with her but nothing like that yet.
I've been training her on what to look for when shes shopping so she can keep an eye out but it's far and few between around here. The thrift stores pull anything better than plated, probably keeps it.
I think my fondness of the metals and history is rubbing off. She likes pretty things as much as any girl but never knew what to look for. That's cool she scored it for ya!

 

[HistoryTeacher]

The crescent and crown on the right indicate German I believe. Great find!

 

[HistoryTeacher]

Threes stars might be city mark https://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_marks_b1884_5.html
Norden.

 

[Indian Steve]

My wife can smell silver. We have been together 38 years and lived off of flea markets for several years. We would pull in to the markets in the dark and while i was setting up, she would be out with the flashlight picking. One morning, she came back to the booth with a 7 pound solid sterling candlabra for $1. We have always competed to see who could find the best or most silver & gold and 99% of the time she kicked my butt. We stopped at a church yard sale once and I jumped out first and started picking silver. About halfway through, I looked back and she was going through the same booths that I had already picked. I chuckled and moved on. When we both got back to the truck and I had a decent pile of silver. SHE had a nicer pile of gold that I overlooked. I will NEVER win against her and I guess that is the way it should be.

 

[Indian Steve]

The mark for Norden City is 3 stars in three circles where the mark on ours is 3 stars in a triangle. Closest that I have seen yet.

 

[JimDon]

Great hunk of silver!

 

[captain flintlock]

The mark for Norden City is 3 stars in three circles where the mark on ours is 3 stars in a triangle. Closest that I have seen yet.

HistoryTeacher is correct as the crescent moon and crown is a Germany mark. Sometimes Belgium. The 3 stars is the real mystery. I saw it while researching and it had something to do with a particular maker. I tried to get on the site but it didn’t want to cooperate. And by the way, my wife has found most of our biggest or best finds too! I’ve taught her and our daughter well as she is also a hunter.

 

[captain flintlock]

I also was curious to know if you are using a standard scale to weigh your item. If so you actually have 2 Troy pounds, 3.34 Troy ounces. 12 ozt = 1 troy pound.

 

[Indian Steve]

I did use our standard shipping scale. Thanks Again

 

[trdhrdr007]

Definitely German. The 3 stars in a triangle are probably a city mark although it's possible that's the makers mark. Not sure why everyone is so concerned with that mark when it's obvious the maker's name is stamped on the piece. I can't read it from the picture. Best I can see it's "K. ?TESHAERT".

 

[DeepseekerADS]

That's a butt kickin score my friend! Congrats to Kathy

 

[randazzo1]

Wow! Sweet find bro!

 

[tamrock]

Dang! Good eye on your wife's end. That's some heavy duty alloy silver.

 

[Treasure_Trove]

Hi everyone, long time reader, first time poster over here.
I'm from Belgium, and I think I might be able to help out.
The three stars in the triangle is the mark of the Belgium firm Wolfers Frères, named after the three brothers who took over their father's business in the 1890's. Around 1892 the three star mark was introduced. By then they had already been awarded the title of 'Court-supplier', and it became, together with the firm of Delheid, the biggest silver producer in Belgium. The firm itself was enormously succesful and sold their silver in their own shops, but they also supplied the most renowned firms in Germany, the Netherlands, and even Cartier in France.
One of the brothers, Philippe Wolfers would even become a fine jeweller working in Art Nouveau-style, the likes of Lalique, you must defenitely google his work, it is extraordinary!
Now for the other marks:
the crescent and crown is indeed the German silver hallmark, and it is known that at the height of the Wolfers' firms popularity, they contracted other firms in Germany and France, to produce their designs and supply them, to keep up whith the demand. So most likely it was produced by the firm of K. Steenaerts in Germany to supply Wolfers.
Hope this helps, and sorry for the long story!

Edit; after some searching I found it's not K. Steenaerts, but H. Steenaerts, it stands for Heinrich Steenaerts, a jeweller and silversmith in Aachen, Germany, he was born in 1860 and died in 1925, and also was 'Hofjuwelier', meaning he was jeweller and supplier to the court. Here's the link to his obituary card:
https://www.wgff-tz.de/details.php?id=218944

 

[Indian Steve]

Thank You Treasure Trove!!!! and thanks to everyone else that commented! What a GREAT GROUP!

 

[Treasure_Trove]

By the way I forgot to congratulate you, it's realy a nice piece!
Oh and datewise I would think its 1890 - 1910, A few years later the First WW began and a Belgian - German cooperation would be out of the question.
After the First WW the firm began producing striking art-deco designs.
In 1942, a new law was passed that Belgian Makers marks have to be barrel shaped, and the firm saw this as an opportunity to change their mark to a Wolf's head above the letter W, referring in a rebus-like manner to their name.
For future reference... here are two examples from my own collection of their work in the early 50's, when the maker's mark had already been changed, they made in collaboration with the renowned Belgian cristal factory of Val-St.-Lambert.

 

[Vhoov]

Nice heavy piece. Great find!