Stray Cat on a Silver Tray?

[KevinM]

I purchased these two items and some other things today and I'm having trouble with the identity of one of them. The cat is actually a salt shaker from the mid 1900's I think (no problem with this item just thought I would share). The other shaker was missing but I bought it anyways because I thought it was cool.

The other item is what I think is a Persian or Middle Eastern possibly solid silver tray (not sure of purity, 800, maybe 900, or?). It is beautifully engraved in detail. The tray measures about 12 1/2 Inches in width and weighs about 1 pound 7 ounces (644 grams). There are some hallmarks on the back edge of the tray which I am trying to identify.

The first hallmark looks like an "IV" or something "V", the second looks like a person / figure or some writing, and the third is partial of an animal? In the last image the mark looks like a bird head bust or a strange looking "7", I'm not sure.

Does anyone know where this silver tray came from, who made it, when it was made and what the hallmarks might say or mean?

Thanks!
Kevin

[KevinM]

I've cleaned up the back of the tray a little to try and get a better picture of the hallmarks on the bottom of it. There appear to be four marked areas with the first three about 2 inches apart and the last one about 4 inches from the third one. The first image below doesn't show all the marks on the rim, only the second set of marks.

The second set of three hallmarks now looks like the middle hallmark may possibly be writing from the middle east. Anyone have any ideas what language the writing may be or anything else?

Thanks!
Kevin

[KC]

This is one of those items I would have a hands on before I could say....

[mart]

Does look middle eastern,, !!  These pics are wrong format and are way too large for the site !! Can`t enlarge them to see detail on marks !!

[KevinM]

Thanks KC, I understand.

Mart, sorry about the images dimensions, the size is ok, the first one is only 450k in size and the second one is only 173k in size (if that is what you mean, if not I'm sorry about that). I resized them myself because I have a Dial up Very Slow modem and can only upload at about 3.5kb a second (that's kilo not mega like some people have). If I didn't resize I could not and would not upload the large images, it would take a half hour, combined they are about 8MB. If I took and uploaded low resolution images then there would be no detail to see anyways. I try to already show the entire item then a detailed zoom in for you. I'm sorry if there is not enough detail... I tried....

[mart]

Thanks KC, I understand.

Mart, sorry about the images dimensions, the size is ok, the first one is only 450k in size and the second one is only 173k in size (if that is what you mean, if not I'm sorry about that). I resized them myself because I have a Dial up Very Slow modem and can only upload at about 3.5kb a second (that's kilo not mega like some people have). If I didn't resize I could not and would not upload the large images, it would take a half hour, combined they are about 8MB. If I took and uploaded low resolution images then there would be no detail to see anyways. I try to already show the entire item then a detailed zoom in for you. I'm sorry if there is not enough detail... I tried....

That's my problem,, Dial Up !!  That zoom is much better !!   Sometimes if the format is different even if the size is ok it doesn't show like its supposed to !!  Depends too on what you take the pics with !! My camera and Jpeg I can use 1000kb and they are fine on most sites !!  These pics are fine now !!
But other than the V I can`t make heads or tales of the marks !! Looks like they have really worn off or maybe been scratched !!

[KC]

Hooray Mart, you're not alone anymore!!!  Another dial up!!!!!!!!!

Without a hands on inspection, I would speculate silverplate and a heavy metal base...which makes it a very heavy tray in comparison to others.

Have you looked through this site at the foreign marks yet?  
http://www.925-1000.com/foreign_marks2.html

Look very closely at your marks (with magnifying glass or jewelers loop).  How does it compare to Iraq?  BUT...note these marks are for sterling silver...thus...sil verplate marks will have differences!

This is a pretty good article to read by the site owner of .925-1000.com.   Like they said, there is something gleaned from handling silver for years that helps you in analyzing items!
http://www.examiner.com/article/is-it-sterling-or-silver-plate-silverplate

[mart]

I think the purity mark would be on it somewhere if it were sterling !!  Doesn`t look like a very good impression,, I am betting plate too !!  Possibly over a copper base !!

[KevinM]

Thanks KC & mart. KC, I frequent that site often and already looked there but thanks for posting the link. Another good site which I frequent among others is http://www.silvercollection.it/hallmarks.html

I'm fairly certain this is silver and not silver plated (also, 800 & 900 silver has a certain feel to it unlike silver plate). Probably somewhere around 800 to 900 silver as I stated before or Coin Silver (I'm almost certain it is not Sterling). As the article you pointed me to states Coin Silver is sometimes marked with a "C".

If you look at the previous images I posted within one of them has a "C" stamped on it although it it is not at the correct angle so it could be something else. In another previous image (not included below)  there is a mark with writing in it which I can't make out since it's too worn. The third hallmark could be a stamp of some image used for silver but I can't make it out, I think I see the legs of an animal in it but I'm not sure.

I've included below 4 close up images of some of the hallmarks or stamps, it's the best I can zoom in at this time.

Thanks!
Kevin

[KC]

A jeweler can resolve that real quick for you if it is coin or sterling!

[KevinM]

KC, I know, I'm mostly interested in what the Marks say/mean and the history of the tray.