HALLMARKS OF HANAU SILVER
MARKS AND PSEUDO HALLMARKS OF HANAU (GERMANY)

created by Giorgio B. owner of
www.silvercollection.it © English home page 		versione italiana page d'accueil en francais
This is a page of A Small Collection of Antique Silver and Objects of vertu, a 1000 pages richly illustrated website offering all you need to know about antique silver, sterling silver, silverplate, sheffield plate, electroplate silver, silverware, flatware, tea services and tea complements, marks and hallmarks, silver marking system and silver hallmarks guide, articles, books, auction catalogs, famous silversmiths (Tiffany, Gorham, Jensen, Elkington, WMF, Reed & Barton, Mappin & Webb, Bateman Family), history, oddities ...
SITE MAP - HOME PAGE


From the middle to the end of the nineteenth century copies of old silver, and items designed in an amalgamation of historic styles, satisfied customer demand and preference. Many firms in Europe and in the United States produced this type of silver. Generally speaking, the recognition of reproduction silver does not present a problem since it is marked according to the laws of the country of origin. Contrary to this, the antique silver industry of Hanau chose to mark its output with fantasy marks. It is difficult to say if this was practiced with a clear intent to deceive. But it is strange that the spurious marks somewhat resemble old marks, and are also harmonized with the style of the piece. For example, French rococo style reproductions are marked with French looking marks, German seventeenth century-inspired pieces got German-looking marks, and so on. Furthermore, most Hanau firms chose as company marks styles reminiscent of seventeenth and eighteenth century maker's marks.
Mark stamping as practiced in Hanau would have been completely illegal in France or England, or for that matter in any other German city where a guild supervised the marking. But Hanau had a long tradition as a free-trade city.
With the production of "antique silver", Hanau found a market niche, which brought its silver manufacturers enormous prosperity and worldwide reputation. The 'father' of this industry was August Schleissner. The other leading firm of Hanau was Neresheimer, founded in 1890 as a partnership of August and Ludwig Neresheimer with Jean Schlingloff. Right from the start Neresheimer offered a wide range of highly decorative objects like nefs, tankards, coconut and nautilus cups, and other sumptuous sideboard pieces.
Most of the information on this page are obtained from Dorothea Bustyn's articles on ASCAS-Association of Small Collectors of Antique Silver- website: www.ASCASonline.org


MARKS AND PSEUDO HALLMARKS OF HANAU

Hanau marks aren't registered trademark but the mere reproduction of ancient silver hallmarks.
Similar symbols were used by different manufacturers and familiar or economic interaction between various Hanau firms could be at the base of marks crossover.
This explains the uncertainty in the attribution of many "Hanau marks".
a mix of maker's marks in Hanau silver: a GB maker and Karl Kurz
A mix of maker's marks in Hanau silver: a "GB" maker and Karl Kurz
Gebruder Dingeldein, Hanau mark Gebruder Dingeldein, Hanau mark Gebruder Dingeldein, Hanau mark Gebruder Dingeldein, Hanau mark Gebruder Dingeldein, Hanau mark Gebruder Dingeldein, Hanau mark Gebruder Dingeldein, Hanau mark

Gebruder Dingeldein (Dingeldein Brothers), Hanau                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
founded in 1868 by brothers Friedrich Otto (ca. 1838-1901) and Freidrich Wilhelm (ca. 1838-1910) Dingeldein. Friedrich Otto's son August Ernst Dingeldein (1874-1962) was their successor, and married Margarethe Kurz (1876-1947), the daughter of Karl Kurz (1851-1936), which is how the Dingeldein and Kurz companies came to be merged in 1911. He did open a New York showroom assisted by his sons Karl August (1901-1965) and Otto Friedrich (1906-1991) Dingeldein, both of whom moved to America permanently in 1927, where they became prominent silversmiths in New Orleans, Louisiana and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, respectively.
Gebruder Glaser (Glaser Brothers), Hanau mark

Gebruder Glaser (Glaser Brothers), Hanau
Founded 1883. Vereinigte Silberwarenfabrik was formed in 1914 merging Gebruder Glaser and Wolf & Knell
Gebrüder Gutgesell; Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark (courtesy Luca Mastrodonato) Gebrüder Gutgesell; Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark

Gebrüder Gutgesell: Hanau
End of 19th century
Hanauer Silberwaren-Manufaktur mark

Hanauer Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau
1891-1906
Succeeded by Georg Roth & Co
Kaiser & Hofler - Hanau (possibly)

Kaiser & Hofler - Hanau (possibly)
Silverware maker in modern and ancient style from 1902
David Kugelmann - Bad Kissingen

David Kugelmann, Bad Kissingen
late 19th - early 20th century
Kurz J. & Co, Hanau KuRz J. & Co, Hanau Kurz J. & Co, Hanau Kurz J. & Co - Hanau Kurz J. & Co - Hanau

Kurz J. & Co - Hanau
1848 - 1960s
Founded by Johann Sigmund Kurz (1818-1888)
Karl Kurz Silberwarenfabrik: Kesselstadt, end of 19th century hallmark Karl Kurz Silberwarenfabrik: Kesselstadt, end of 19th century hallmark

Karl Kurz Silberwarenfabrik: Kesselstadt
End of 19th century
Its English Agent/Importer was Theodor Hartmann registered in London and Sheffield
Ludwig Neresheimer & Co: Hanau, end of 19th century mark Ludwig Neresheimer & Co: Hanau, end of 19th century mark Ludwig Neresheimer & Co: Hanau, end of 19th century mark Ludwig Neresheimer & Co: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark Ludwig Neresheimer & Co: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark Ludwig Neresheimer & Co: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark Ludwig Neresheimer & Co: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark Ludwig Neresheimer & Co: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark

B. Neresheimer & Sohne, Hanau
Founded 1893.
Ludwig Neresheimer & Co
from 1903



Gebruder Neumannn, Hanau mark Gebruder Neumannn, Hanau mark Gebruder Neumannn, Hanau mark

Gebruder Neumann (Neumann Brothers), Hanau
Founded 1926. Succeeded to Storck & Sinsheimer
Friedrich Reusswig, Hanau mark Friedrich Reusswig, Hanau mark Friedrich Reusswig, Hanau mark

Friedrich Reusswig, Hanau
1903-1926
Simon Rosenau, Bad Kissingen, mark Simon Rosenau, Bad Kissingen, mark Simon Rosenau, Bad Kissingen, mark

Simon Rosenau, Bad Kissingen
Business founded by Simon Rosenau in 1862. Succeeded by his son Hermann Simon Rosenau in the 1890s maintaining tight commercial links with Hanau manufacturers until is retirement from business in 1932.
Roth & Co.Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau mark Georg Roth & Comp.Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark Georg Roth & Comp.Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark Roth & Comp.Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark Roth & Comp.Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau mark Roth & Comp.Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau mark Roth & Comp.Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark Roth & Comp.Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark Georg Roth & Comp.Silberwaren-Manufaktur: Hanau, end of 19th century hallmark

Georg Roth & Co. (Hanauer Silberwaren-Manufaktur), Hanau
founded in 1891
simulating ancient French marks of 17th and 18th century
(below right two authentic ancient marks)
hallmark of silversmith Michel Millerand père, Grenoble about 1695 - dead 1751 hallmark of silversmith Charles Cèsar Haudry - Paris 1745
pseudo Augsburg mark and the simulated "zickzack line" (Tremolierstrich) used for silver assaying
(below right an authentic ancient mark: Berlin 1820)
BERLIN 1820/30 Georg Friedrich Fournier (1773-1832,Master 1806)
Schleissner & Söhne; Hanau mark Schleissner & Söhne; Hanau mark Schleissner & Söhne; Hanau mark Schleissner & Söhne; Hanau mark Schleissner & Söhne; Hanau c. 1900 hallmark Schleissner & Söhne; Hanau mark Schleißner J.D. & Söhne - Hanau Schleissner & Söhne; Hanau c. 1900 hallmark (possibly) Schleissner & Söhne; Hanau c. 1900 hallmark Schleissner & Söhne; Hanau c. 1900 hallmark

J.D. Schleissner & Söhne, Hanau
c. 1817 - present
The firm was founded by Johann Daniel Christian Schleissner
Willy Schmitt - Hanau Willy Schmitt - Hanau

Willy Schmitt - Hanau
manufacturer of ancient style "Hanau silver"
Karl Sohnlein & Sohne, Hanau mark Sohnlein Karl & Söhne - Hanau

Karl Sohnlein & Sohne, Hanau
Active 1888-1956
Hanau silver: maker Storck & Sinsheimer Hanau silver: maker Storck & Sinsheimer Hanau silver: maker Storck & Sinsheimer

Storck & Sinsheimer, Hanau
Jacob Stork and Louis Sinsheimer.
Active 1874-1926
Vereinigte Silberwarenfabrik, Hanau, mark Vereinigte Silberwarenfabrik, Hanau, mark

Vereinigte Silberwarenfabrik, Hanau
Formed in 1914 merging Wolf & Knell with Gebruder Glaser
Weinranck & Schmidt, Hanau mark Weinranck & Schmidt, Hanau mark

Weinranck & Schmidt, Hanau
Founded 1889 by Wilhelm Weinranck and Fritz Schmidt. Handmade silver in antique and modern style and purse frames.
Wilhelm Weinranck, Hanau mark Wilhelm Weinranck, Hanau mark

Wilhelm Weinranck, Hanau
Founded 1899. Taken over by Wilhelm Geist & Sohn in 1970
Wolf & Knell, Hanau, mark Wolf & Knell, Hanau, mark Wolf & Knell, Hanau, mark

Wolf & Knell, Hanau
Founded 1887. Merged in 1914 with Gebruder Glaser to form Vereinigte Silberwarenfabrik


not identified hallmark not identified hallmark Hanau not identified mark Hanau not identified mark Hanau not identified mark not identified hallmark not identified hallmark not identified hallmark Hanau unidentified mark not identified hallmark not identified hallmark not identified hallmark

Hanau (not identified)
not identified hallmark

Hanau (not identified)
Simulating English silver hallmarks. Pseudo-hallmarks of English silver are unusual for Hanau makers, but this mark was found on a silver bottle in typical Hanau style


Berthold Muller: Chester import mark Berthold Muller: import mark Chester 1905 Berthold Muller: import mark Berthold Muller: import mark London 1895 Berthold Muller: import mark London 1905 Berthold Muller: import mark London 1895 Berthold Muller: Chester import mark Berthold Muller: import mark Chester 1910

Hanau silver was largely imported in UK between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Berthold Muller was an import firm, who distributed a lot of Neresheimer silver - see John Culme: The Directory of Gold-and Silversmiths, Jewellers and Allied Traders 1838-1914, Vol.1 page, page 335. The firm changed its name 1915 to Berthold Miller and was listed as wholesale silversmiths and jewellers, antique reproduction in silver, ivories, miniatures, enamels, and so forth.

Another importer of Hanau silver was J.G.Piddington which was independent of Berthold Muller and an import firm in their own right, see Culme, page 423 under John George Smith &Co. The shipping and forwarding business was founded in 1849, the firm was a partnership between J.Friend and J. Piddington. The grandson of Piddington, John G.Smith jr. took the surname of his grandfather in 1900. J.G. Smith & Co are noted to have imported a great deal of silver, apparently an important part of their business until 1939. Many of these items, decorative in nature, to be of German origin. A privately printed and illustrated history of this firm exists, called 'Vitesse, The Story of Continental Express', published in 1949.

(information from www.ASCASonline.org /Dorothea Burstyn)


In the USA an importer was Bucholz & Zelt, located at 22 W 48th Str, New York identified by the mark B&Z. According to McKinley Tarif Act of 1890 the importer added to world "GERMANY" next to German hallmark "Crescent and Crown". Import by B&Z (many by JD Schleissner & Sohne) began probably before 1890 as some pieces are missing of the world "GERMANY".
American importer of Hanau Silver: Bucholz & Zelt, New York American importer of Hanau Silver: Bucholz & Zelt, New York
The directory of German silver and silverplate maker's marks
verzeichnis von silber- u. metallwarenfabriken, Deutsche firmenstampel auf silber un versilberten metallen
LETTERS / BUCHSTABEN
A      B      C      D      E      F      G      H      I      J      K      L      M      N      O      P      Q      R      S      T      U      V      W      X      Y      Z     
English home page
This is a page of 'The What is? Silver Dictionary' of A Small Collection of Antique Silver and Objects of vertu, a 1500 pages richly illustrated website offering all you need 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 ...
HOME - SITE MAP - SILVER DICTIONARY - COOKIES CONSENT AND PRIVACY


This page was useful? leave your LIKE on facebookgo to facebook page
- work in progress on this page - your help, corrections and suggestions will be greatly appreciated -