squid385;
The item is NOT some possession of a brand salesman.... there was no such thing! Brands were made by the local black smith, to the users specs.
I can see several familiar items and several childish meanings but what all means, together, is something else.
Look up silver smith marks, from 1700s on, you may find some. This appears to me to be cut from a high grade silver plated table ware, the best silver plate was on copper. Also, it takes a practiced hand to make those inscriptions.... this was not a spur-of-the-moment thing. He was a practiced engraver.
It reminds me, in part, of secret code used by blockade runners, during the civil war, my gramma showed me some, many years ago.
My take.
Top row: Christian fish; curb bit; tablets or grave stone; cant guess the wavy symbol; a church window or Argyll symbol; the keyhole, possibly Masonic; pouring from one container to another, possibly Masonic; the crossed sticks may be a Masonic symbol, or just Lacrosse sticks; and definately a rocking chair or horse.
Bottom row: the turtle... looks like a snapper... turtle symbols can mean N.America, it is also a native 4 winds symbol; the z sign may mean GO UP; that is not a Y, it is equally 120 degrees on all angles and may mean centre over or over center? or central point, higher up; the next may mean UNDERSTAND; the snake refers to a constellation called Draco; the next reminds me of the constellation Orion; the tailed Z has me puzzled; the R, leaning is not an R, it may represent a snail or dodman, and may refer to a surveyor or Dodman (an ancient suveyor, in the UK, who used 2 sticks to survey roads and trails), going downwards, possibly; I think the last symbol is a broken chain link.
My take may mean NADA, who knows.
I have one question: why are Louis dOr pieces silver? (Or) is gold, not silver! Are they saying Louis was of gold?
Jes some thotts
Brian AKA goldigger
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« Last Edit: July 27, 2009, 10:58:50 pm by goldigger »
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