I bought in Brazil four forks that I believed to be silver—and indeed they are; they weigh 75 grams each, and I tested them using a touchstone and acid. At a quick glance, I would say they are Portuguese, bearing a 19th-century (or earlier) “L-Crown” hallmark, F.J.S. . However, when I researched the mark, I was surprised to find that the one on the pieces does not match the cataloged L-Crown hallmark.
The Fundação José Saramago is a private cultural institution established in June 2007 by the Portuguese writer and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate José Saramago himself.
I bought a book on Portuguese silver spanning the 15th century to 1887; let’s see what I find, and if there’s anything new, I’ll share it here. It arrives by September 29th.
As a Brazilian, I found the answer really strange, since I knew there was no connection—though I actually looked it up to see if there was any link to silver, just for the sake of it, hahaha.
I found a pair of candlesticks that also bear the “L and crown” mark, but the silversmith was JFG; this reinforces the idea that, at some point during the 19th century, this hallmark was used on a large scale.
hahaha.
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