I received a piece of silver for Christmas in the form of a candle snuffer. It is very unusual and I have never seen anything quite like it before. The handle of the snuffer is a man or boy playing a violin. There are hallmarks (very small), four of them including the lion passant with front paw raised and the tail over the back. There is a leopard’s head sans crown. In between the lion and leopard, there is a block capital letter P and a block capital F. These are in two separate cartouches. We believe the P to be the date letter. In addition to our puzzlement over the F, there is the concern over the missing bow. We’ve been told that the bow could be replaced by a silversmith but I am concerned about the advisibility of doing that. My instinct is to leave it as found. Any information about the snuffer’s origins would be appreciated.
Picture cannot be attached due to size. If anyone wishes to view the photo, email me at
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Leo