Gold merit cross with crown, how to identify the manufacturer?

[Carlo]

Hi everyone, today I show you this gold cross of merit (miniature), which measures 25 mm in height (including crown) and 17mm in width.

The only hallmark that is stamped is that of the 750 gold.

Question to the more experienced: do you think it is possible to identify a manufacturer based only on manufacturing?

Another question, when do you think it was made? The cross is of particularly fine workmanship, which makes me think it is quite old, but I don't know when it was made, I haven't seen many like this one, so sadly I don't have many references.

 

Carlo

[Farkas]

Hi Carlo,

My first thought was the marks could have been on the ring but I just saw this in the hallmark thread…

if I’m reading it right, the 750 mark was added to small items in stock in 1867 and was seen alone like yours for just a few years after so dates it 1867-1870.

& If so perhaps that narrows down the possible makers a little 🤷‍♂️
 

On 15/02/2023 at 22:46, tifes said:

Difference between hallmark 60 and 61 is very slight. No 60 is for Hallmarking Office (Punzierungsamt) in Vienna and No 61 with "vertical line" (mit senkrechtem Strich) is for a Branch of Hallmarking Office (Filialpunzierungsamt) in Vienna I. This one was used from 1867 onwards but No 60 is very old one and was in use since 1807.

 

That lead us to 750 hallmark. There is no true that first hallmarking law was adopted just in January 1867. There were different regulations for hallmarking for different parts of Monarchy since 18th century. Bit messy and many small items like jewellery and orders were exempted. This changed with hallmark act of 1867 which unified the system for the whole Monarchy and introduced the obligation for all items to be hallmarked, even small ones made of precious metals. 750 is so-called "stock hallmark" (Vorratpunze) for 18k. gold pieces. In the hallmark act of 1867 it was stipulated that stocks of silver and gold items which had not yet been officially hallmarked were to be provided with a stock hallmark similar to the older regulations, provided that the precious metal content exceeded at least a quarter of the total value.This is why we see "750" hallmark sometimes alone, sometimes mixed with "new" hallmarks of 1867. So golden pieces made closely before or during the introduction of hallmark act 1867 plus some years on (like till 1870, still old stock used) could be seen with this stock hallmark of 750.       

cheers

tony

Edited April 3, 2023 by Farkas
Edit

[Carlo]

12 hours ago, Farkas said:

Hi Carlo,

My first thought was the marks could have been on the ring but I just saw this in the hallmark thread…

if I’m reading it right, the 750 mark was added to small items in stock in 1867 and was seen alone like yours for just a few years after so dates it 1867-1870.

& If so perhaps that narrows down the possible makers a little 🤷‍♂️
 

cheers

tony

A thousand thanks! I'll keep researching, at the moment the most probable manufacturer is Rothe, but I can't say with full certainty yet.