Figure of Black Madonna, what metal is it? And Is that a makers mark do u think?

[Billycourty]

Hello everyone,

I recently brought this tiny (2inch) tall figurine from a market in France. It was completely black when I brought it and I cleaned it with foil in boiling water and baking soda.  Written on the figurine is ND (Notre Dame) De La Delivrande.  On the back on the hem of her dress is marked VM and either two numbers (05, 66, 65, something like that) or letters OS.  I would like to continue cleaning her, but gold colour is coming through the 'copper' colour now. I am thinking maybe brass with a copper coating? (I have no idea). 
I have attached the pictures to see if you guys can hazard a guess to age, metal and to see if in your opinion the marking to the left is an eroded markers mark or just a scratch? The metal is not magnetic at all and is pretty heavy for its size. 





Thankyou so much for your time

[cogar]

Scratch it on the inside at the base and see what you get.

[Billycourty]

Thanks Cogar, i scratched inside the base like you suggested and it made silver lines.  I just got a knife and rubbed the point back and forth, is that what I am supposed to do?

Regards

[mart]

Most likely spelter or white metal !!  Then coated or plated with a brass or copper color !!  Most likely a tourist item purchased when people visited the area !!

[malcolm900]

awsom piece

[KC]

Agree with Mart!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Madonna

I suspect you may have taken off a black coating that the raised areas were to show the under-metal colors through!

[Billycourty]

Thanks everyone, the black coating was most definitely not meant to be there, non of the patterning on her robe was visible under the gunk.  I know that she is a souvenir piece as Douvres-Deliverande is a big pilgramage site, but I don't know from when.  Dourves was an important place during the 2 world war as well, have any of you got any suggestions on how to date her? I will be planing my own pilgramage to Dourves when i have a free weekend, and see if any of the souvenirs there match her.

Thank you so much for you time, and if you have any more insights, I would love to hear them. I am so happy to have found this board as I have a real love of antiques but no nothing about them.  I am really lucky to live in France as they have the best 'brocantes' here, got a big one again on sunday so hoping to dig up some more 'treasure'!  

Kind Regards
Billy

[talesofthesevenseas]

Cast items are hard to date sometimes because metals can be made to look old pretty easily. I was looking at those marks where it was sliced off and trying to figure out what would have made them. It looks like a hand tool like a saw of some type, rather than an electric saw, which would have left a circular pattern. I think if this were an old casting you would have to see a "gate mark" of some type, like you see on old cast iron pans, but I'm not sure about that.