Het Nieuwe Testament / Psalmen (bundel) - 1874

The most likely maker for this type of silver church book fittings is: Dirk van de Velde (active in Amsterdam between about 1818 and 1845)

Antique Dutch church Bible and Psalter with richly decorated silver book clasps (latches) in relief, from the 19th century.

Dutch New Testament (States Translation) from the year 1874, issued by the Nederlandsche Bijbel-Compagnie.

1. The Book (The New Testament) Edition year: 1874, printed by the well-known printers J. Brandt en Zoon (Amsterdam) and Johannes Enschedé en Zonen (Haarlem).

Content: It contains the books of the New Testament in the official States translation, laid down during the Synod of Dordrecht (1618–1619).

Family history: On the left page (the flyleaf) are handwritten family notes from the 1940s (1942, 1943, 1946), recording births, marriages or deaths within the family. This makes it a valuable family heirloom.

2. The Silver Book Latches (Church Silver)
The illustrations: The right latch shows Moses with the tablets on which the Ten Commandments are inscribed. The left latch shows another Biblical figure (possibly Aaron or a prophet) surrounded by lush curls in Baroque/Rococo style.
The silver hallmarks: In the detailed photo, in the center there is a very clear Dutch silver hallmark in a hexagonal shield (a so-called maker’s mark). This type of mark indicates Dutch silver of the second quality (835/1000 silver). Around this mark are also traces of a master’s mark (the initials of the silversmith) visible. Because the latches are sometimes older than the book itself (they were often transferred to a newer Bible when the old paper wore out at the time), these latches presumably date from the 19th century.

To be shipped by registered mail and well packaged."