Can anyone help me identify these marks? From a pair of silver candlesticks inherited from my Austrian grandparents. Many thanks!
BERNDORF METALWARE FACTORY.
c.1870 - c.1875
An early mark for middle-quality silver-plated (Alpacca-Silber II) hollow ware items. It consists of the two-headed eagle (coat of arms of Austria-Hungary) and the inscription “BMF” (the letters “M” and “F” are joined) plus three mysterious letters given in two lines “CH/S”, which mean “CHinesische Silber” (Chinese silver or silver-plated PACFONG, the latter word means nickel silver in Chinese). Very rare.