ITALIAN SILVER MARKS AND HALLMARKS
REPUBLIC OF VENICE
  created by Giorgio B. owner of
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THE DIRECTORY OF 20th CENTURY ITALIAN SILVERSMITHS (SORTED BY PROVINCE)
AL AR BL BO BS FE FI FO GE MI MO NA PA PD PR PV RE RO ROMA TO TS TV UD VA VC VE VI VR

The Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century AD until the year 1797.
Venice became extremely wealthy through its control of trade between Europe and the Levant and expanded into the Adriatic Sea, in Italy, along the Dalmatian coast from Istria to Albania and in the island of Cyprus.
In the 17th and 18th century began the decline and Venice lost most of its overseas possessions
By 1797, the Republic of Venice could no longer defend itself and the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte conquered the neutral Venice and with the Peace of Leoben the town and its territories were taken by Austria until 1805.
From 1805 until 1814 Venice returned under French domination as part of the Regno d'Italia, founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon.
After the fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna, the town became part of the Regno Lombardo Veneto, again under Austrian domination. In 1866 these territories were annexed to the Kingdom of Italy unified under the Savoy House.


REPUBLIC OF VENICE SILVER MARKS
Flag of the Republic of Venice
The silver marks of the Republic of Venice (except a brief period in 1805 when were adopted Austrian marks) were used until 1812. In this year was introduced the French system approved (December 25, 1810) by the Viceroy of Italy Eugene de Beauharnais.
Venice coat of arms VENICE
the hallmarking was based on a system of five marks
 
maker's mark
(usually silversmith's initials)		 maker's mark: possibly Giacomo Fortunato or Giacomo Fraini or Giulio Fedeli
workshop's mark
(workshop's -"bottega"- name in various shapes - contrassegno di bottega)		 workshop mark: All'Onesta', 18th century
assayer's mark
(usually St.Mark's lion in "moleca" over assayer's initials
or initials and a symbol between)  		 Assayer's mark NP, 18th century, not identified Assayer's mark MG, 1762-1776, not identified
assayer's mark
(usually St.Mark's lion in "moleca" over assayer's initials
or initials and a symbol between)  		 Assayer's mark FP, 18th century, not identified Assayer's mark Zuanne Cottini, 18th century Assayer's mark FC, late 18th century, not identified
Assay Office (Zecca) mark
(St.Mark lion in "moleca")





Below the evolution of Venice "seal" from the 14th to the end of the 18th century 		Assay office (Zecca) mark, late 18th century


These rules were scarcely applied by Venetian silversmiths. No object with five marks is known, while most of silver is punched with two marks only (usually assayer and Zecca marks).



VENICE TERRITORIES

Little is known about the marks used in Venetian Territories. Before 1664 these marks were used:
Bergamo, "bollo dell'Arte", shape unknown
Brescia, the lion rampant (town coat of arms)
Padova, St. Antony
Verona, a Shield with a cross (town coat of arms)
Vicenza, an Angel
In 1774 Assay Offices were activated in twelve towns. and silver was marked with assayer's mark (initials with town's number or symbol between)
PADOVA 1 Padova, assayer Marcantonio Bellotto, 1776/1788 mark Padova, assayer Marcantonio Bellotto, 1776/1788 mark VICENZA 2 Vicenza, assayer Alessandro Zaffin, 1776/1788 mark VERONA 3 Verona town mark Verona town mark Verona, Antonio Caravana, c. 1774 mark
BRESCIA 4 Brescia, Giuseppe Renoldi BERGAMO 5 Bergamo, Morella Carlo, c. 1790 CREMA 6 MARK NOT
AVAILABLE
TREVISO 7 Treviso, Giacomo Daldin mark, c. 1780 Treviso, Giacomo Daldin mark, c. 1780 BASSANO 8 Bassano, mark not identified FELTRE 9 MARK NOT
AVAILABLE
UDINE 10 MARK NOT
AVAILABLE 		ROVIGO 11 MARK NOT
AVAILABLE 		PALMA 12 MARK NOT
AVAILABLE
AUSTRIAN MARKS

In 1805 Austria extended to Venice its hallmarking system. Two new marks were introduced, but this innovation lasted only few months and, with the return of French domination, the old hallmarks were resumed lasting until 1810.
Austrian mark, Venice 1805, 15 lot fineness Austrian mark, Venice 1805, 13 lot fineness
Austrian mark, Venice 1805,
15 lot fineness
Austrian mark, Venice 1805,
13 lot fineness

Map of Venice and its territories
Map of the Republic of Venice and its territories

This is a page of Silvercollection.it "A Small Collection of Antique Silver and Objects of vertu", a 1000 pages widely illustrated website offering all you wish to know about antique silver, sterling silver, silverplate, sheffield plate, electroplate silver, silverware, flatware, tea services and tea complements, marks and hallmarks, articles, books, auction catalogs, famous silversmiths (Tiffany, Gorham, Jensen, Elkington), history, oddities ...
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