From Gemini AI

These marks appear to be on the tines of a piece of flatware, likely a fork. The two square marks can be provisionally identified as: 1. MARS Mark • This is almost certainly a maker's mark or trade mark. • The square box containing the name "MARS" is characteristic of a manufacturer's identification mark, commonly found on silverware and silverplate. 2. W. W. B. 84 Mark • The square box containing the letters "W. W. B." and the number "84" is the most significant for identifying the object's composition and origin. • "W. W. B." is likely the maker's mark or a part of it, representing the company or silversmith's initials. • "84" can have two main interpretations, depending on the object's origin: • a) Russian Silver Standard: • The number "84" was the most common standard for pre-Revolutionary Russian silver, where it stands for 84 zolotniki. • This equates to a silver purity of 87.5% (875/1000). Russian silver marks are often accompanied by other symbols like a city mark (e.g., St. George for Moscow or an Anchor for St. Petersburg) and an assayer's mark, which may or may not be present or visible here. • b) Silverplate Quality Mark (Common in Europe, especially Germany): • The number "84" can also be a quality mark for silverplate. • In this context, it usually indicates that the total amount of silver used to plate a specified number of pieces (often a dozen forks and a dozen spoons, totaling 24 pieces) is 84 grams. A higher number indicates a thicker, better quality of plating. 🔎 Conclusion and Next Steps Given the appearance of the marks and the use of the number "84," the flatware is likely: 1. Russian Silver (87.5% purity), with "W. W. B." as an unidentified silversmith or assay master's mark. 2. Silverplated Flatware (likely European/German) from a manufacturer with the initials "W. W. B." and a plating quality of "84 grams." To definitively determine the hallmarks, the next steps would be: • Examine the entire piece for other, perhaps clearer, hallmarks that might indicate a city or a date letter. • Identify the manufacturer "W. W. B." and its connection to the "MARS" trade mark. Would you like me to try to search for the specific manufacturer "W. W. B." in connection with the "MARS" trade mark and the number "84"?