Ashtray - Silver

Large Silver Inn Ashtray (18 cm / 210 g) – Fa. Moerkerk Haarlem 1948

Description:
For the serious collector of exclusive Dutch antique silver: a beautiful and very heavily made silver inn ashtray with a diameter of no less than 18 centimeters and a total weight of 210 grams of solid silver.
From the renowned Haarlem silversmiths Fa. Moerkerk & Co. and it is in splendid, undamaged condition with a stunning depth effect (patina).
historic jubilee piece
This specimen is not a standard shop model, but an exclusive custom-made edition from the post-war reconstruction period. The inside is adorned with two original, razor-sharp hand engravings:
* Top: “25 JAAR N.V.”
* Bottom: “AANGEBODEN DOOR DE ONDERVAKGROEP”
It is an official congratulatory gift that at the time was donated by the official Dutch trade association (Ondervakgroep detailhandel in gouden en zilveren werken) for the 25th anniversary of a prominent post-war silver enterprise.
Masterly detail in relief
The central panel shows a beautifully detailed 3D relief of an Old Dutch tavern scene. As a unique signature (wink) from the master silversmith, there are on the wall-mounted turf-board not ordinary dashes but tiny official Dutch silver hallmarks (such as the Minerva head and the Walking Lion).
Specifications & Official Hallmarks:
* Material: Solid Dutch silver, 2nd quality (hallmarked with Walking Lion II / 835)
* Weight: 210 grams (very heavy, robust quality)
* Diameter: 18 centimeters (the rare, large model)
* Master mark: M14C (Fa. Moerkerk & Co., Haarlem)
* Year letters: L (1946) and N (1948) – produced and hallmarked in phases