Page 716 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

The same Marine commissioned Teh Ling to make this swagger stick [below] at the same time he bought the
cigarette case - again, a superb historic item and record of a China that was coming to an end of its Republic
Period.

One of the mysteries of Teh Ling silver is the use of .935 silver [or at least the use of a .935 silver mark]. This
silver standard was only used by 3 countries - Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Certainly Germany had a
foreign legation in Peking at this time but it also had a foreign concession area in Hankow. It is a reasonable
assumption that either Teh Ling was making silver for the German legation or it was making silver specially for
the German export market. It could even be that Teh Ling was recycling German silver, but given this was
already the late 1930’s, Ribbentrop had reduced the presence in China from Embassy to that of Chargé
d’Affaires due to Nazi Germany’s pro-
Japanese stance.

This circa 1910 trinket box carries the Teh
Ling mark as well as the .935 silver mark. This
seems to be typical of the regular type of
silver merchandise the silversmith offered.
Given there was an obvious rigorous trade in
souvenir jewellery items with foreigners
based in Peking at the various legations, they
now appear regularly at auction, particular in
the United States.