Silver award plater help

[Fritziii]

Hello all, got a call today and went over to look at a few things and came home with this plater, pretty sure is sterling 830 German silver, my question is what's it for? I can see it's from a guard regiment and dated 1934, is this a long service award/gift? The engraving is quite nice and made by a silver smith in Berlin. Thanks in advance.

Fritz

[Fritziii]

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[Fritziii]

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[Fritziii]

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[Brian L.]

It says, "Honor Prize from the Officers of the Garde-Kavallerie-Regiment".

"To Unteroffizier Kaufmann for Splendid Shooting"

It's not "German Silver" which is Argentan or nickel. It's real silver, but not Sterling which is .925. It's typically a lower grade as was used in Germany; in this case 830 (830/1000).

[Fritziii]

Thanks

Fritz

[Fritziii]

Anyone know where I can find more info out on this piece?

Fritz

[Brian L.]

Anyone know where I can find more info out on this piece?

Fritz

This is a 'one-off' and I doubt you can trace the recipient as he was only an Unteroffizier and it doesn't even mention his first name.

Engraved silver platters, cups, napkin rings and trophies etc. like this one were traditionally a favorite method of recognition and appreciation, whether for a shooting award, service or something else in the German army, going back probably 200 years.

But, they were not official and rarely documented. So, it's often impossible to find information.

[Destruction]

Looks promising, just one remark. The engraving is dated 1934, but the plate is maker marked with all these old crown and half moon marks. Is that period? Or it's just old plate engraved in 1934 ?

[Fritziii]

Destruction, the marks are period and are the marks of this particular silver smith.

Fritz

[Brian L.]

Looks promising, just one remark. The engraving is dated 1934, but the plate is maker marked with all these old crown and half moon marks. Is that period? Or it's just old plate engraved in 1934 ?

I think that's a fair point. The platter could have been what they call 'old new stock' made years before but bought and engraved in 1934. I don't think it takes anything away from it. In fact, having the Wilm name and marks increases its value.

[Fritziii]

Yes, the marks to increase the value, this particular maker made some pretty fine silver items during this period, some quite pricey from what I've found, not sure what a piece like this would be valued, being to a gaurd regiment I feel it's on the very uncommon/slightly rare side of the spectrum. I've looked for other examples and haven't found a thing yet.

Fritz

[Brian L.]

I made a slight mistake because the picture is not clear. In looking at it again, I see that it's "Garde-Kürassier-Regiment". I mistook the 2nd abbreviation for "Kav" when it's actually "Kür". That makes it a Garde du Korps piece. Since the Garde-Kürassier-Regiment was disbanded in 1919, this is a piece presented by former officers of the regiment and therefore a veteran's item. They could still have been active officers in one of the Reichswehr Prussian Reiter Regiments, and formerly from the Garde regiment. But, there was no lineage of this regiment directly into the Reichswehr. So, there was no Garde-Kürassier-Regiment in 1934.

[Fritziii]

Hmm, veterans then, I'll have to post this in the Imperial section then. Would like to get an idea of value, you just don't see Gaurd Regiment stuff too often, thoughts?

Fritz

[juoneen]

This could have been a contract item....as the maker says H J Wilm, and in the makers marks reference I used it says it also could be M.H Wilkens and sohne Bremen hemelingen founded 1810. as to why Wilm used the mark at that date is something I cannot say as to why this is different for sure...anybody know? I wonder if the H J wilm name was added later as that mark is not the makers mark of the F R wilm on that list but wonder if its not a relative of the the name, or could the tray have belonged to wilm , or as I guessed something made by wilkens for a wilm order..and wilm had their name put on it....who knows....? Still a real nice item , so the guy must have been a "sniper " grade shooter in his skills.

http://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_marks_a1884_9.html
Go to bottom of the page: (wilkens)
then go here at the top:
http://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_marks_a1884_10.html
and see Wilm....
I posted a large silver platter some years back of a very similar style of the edges.