Victorian Dome Topped Silver Casket

19th Century antique dome-topped small silver casket with basketweave embossed sides, the lid and base repoussé decorated with figures within scrolling reserves. Dutch silver by Rinze Jans Spaanstra registered in the cities of Drachten/Wommels/Berlicum(Frisian) and Nijehaske from around 1843 till 1896. He is known to have used these particular sets of pseudo marks and fantasy marks. MC pseudo maker’s mark, a fern leaf another pseudo maker’s mark, and a running animal (upside down) the third pseudo maker’s mark. ‘Around 1860 pseudo marks popped up in The Netherlands, provinces North & South Holland, Friesland & Groningen. Pseudo old marks & fantasy marks were used for competitive reasons, the high demand for antique silver at home and abroad for silver being old & handmade in the traditional way. The import regulations in the UK and US meant antique silver could be imported at a lower duty rate compared to modern silver. However, the British importers knew the silver items were not old and do not sell it as such; being curios cabinet items. The silversmiths of Schoonhoven, the traditional exporter of mostly small silver items to the UK & US, used pseudo marks purely for tax reasons. ‘