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A SILVER CHALICE FROM SICILY
MARKS AND HALLMARKS OF SICILIAN SILVER OF 18TH CENTURY
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Ancient
Italian marks are little known and scarcely documented.
Moreover the books dealing with this matter are in
Italian and, most of them, out of print.
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According to their marks the chalice and paten are (partly)
identifiable as made in Palermo - Italy (eagle mark) by
silversmith AG (not identified) and assayed in 1765 by master
silversmith Gaspare Leone, Console degli argentieri from July
10, 1765 to July 8, 1766 (GL65 mark).
The request of information sent by Roger
Mortimer about these objects is anyway an excellent occasion for
an English comment about silver hallmarks used in Sicily (Italy)
in the 18th century.
BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY
- I Marchi delle Argenterie e Oreficerie Siciliane,
Maria Accascina, Bramante Editore 1976
- Argenti Italiani del Settecento, V.Donaver R. Dabbene,
Edizioni Libreria Malavasi, 2000
- I marchi degli argentieri e orafi di Palermo, Silvano
Barraja, Publieditor srl, 1996
- I marchi dell'argenteria Italiana, Ugo Donati, De
Agostini, 1999,
- Ori e Argenti di Sicilia, Maria Concetta Di Natale,
Electa, 1989
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PALERMO
18th century hallmarking system consisted of three marks:
" bulla " di
garanzia (town mark)
An eagle (town's symbol) surmounting " RVP " (Regia Urbs
Panormi) |
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mark of the "
Console dell'Arte " (assayer mark)
initial of name (two or three letters) and year's date (two
or three digits) |
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maker's mark
initial of name (two or three letters) |
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MESSINA
18th century hallmarking system consisted of four marks (first
half of 18th century) or three marks (second half of 18th
century):
" bulla " di
garanzia (town mark)
A cross into a crowned shield (town's symbol)
with M and S on the sides (Messinensis Senatus) |
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(18th c.,
first half) mark of the " Console dell'Arte " (assayer
mark) and date mark (two separate marks)
initial of name followed by "C" and a separate date mark
of two or three digits
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(18th c.,
second half) mark of the " Console dell'Arte " (assayer
mark) and date mark (combined)
name initials (two or three letters) and year's date (two
or three digits)r
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maker's mark
initial of name (two or three letters) |
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CATANIA
18th century hallmarking system consisted of three or four marks
(in the last quarter assayer and year date were combined):
" bulla " di
garanzia (town mark)
An Elephant (town's symbol) surmounted by letter "A" (for
Agata, Patron Saint of Catania)
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OTHER TOWNS
SIRACUSA "
bulla " di garanzia (town mark)
An Eagle (town's symbol) looking right (18th c., second
half)
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TRAPANI "
bulla " di garanzia (town mark)
A sickle surmounted by a crown over DVI (Drepanum Urbs
Invictissima) (town's symbol)
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ACIREALE "
bulla " di garanzia (town mark)
A circle containing a castle on the right, three mounts
on the left surmounted by AG (Aci Galatea) (town's
symbol)
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ASSOCIATION OF SMALL COLLECTORS OF ANTIQUE SILVER
