Fine set 18 French 950 Gilt Silver & Gold Mother-of-pearl Fruit/Dessert Knives

Description

Presented is a wonderful set of 18 French gilt silver and gold fruit or dessert knives, with mother-of-pearl handles. These knives date to 1809-1819. The blades and end-caps of the knives are gilt French first standard silver, which has a purity of 950. It's worth noting that this is a higher purity than
sterling, which is 925. The handles of the knives are mother-of-pearl, set with a finely engraved gold shield-shaped plaque. The plaques are solid gold, nitric acid tested and guaranteed.
The knives are in great overall condition, with no chips or breaks to the mother-of-pearl handles and no significant wear to the gilding of the blades. One of the knives, as the photo points out, is missing the silver  cap to its handle. These caps are  fairly standard and could probably be replaced. Some of the other caps have some minor denting to the ends, but nothing easy to notice without inspecting for it.
The knives are hallmarked on the blades with the French first standard silver guarantee mark used in the Provinces from 1809-1819, consisting of a rooster in an oval shaped punch, guaranteeing 950 purity silver. There is also a mark of a
man's head in profile facing right, in a round punch, and a maker's mark that we unfortunately can't make out.
Each knife is about 7 7/8 inches long.
Weight: 571 grams
-jm
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