Branded

The real microscope pictured above has been branded with an arrow-like shape. We don’t know what it means, and whether it was added by Van Leeuwenhoek himself, or later. The mark appears on several other preserved Leeuwenhoek microscopes as well, some even have two of them.

Silver objects often contain labels of quality, but with messing, it’s unusual. Perhaps Van Leeuwenhoek used the mark to refer to specific characteristics of the microscope such as magnification.

Whenever a replica is made, it’s desirable to use marks or brands as well. They prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the object is a modern copy. The marks and inscriptions are in that case added in a prominent place, in such a way that they can barely be removed without leaving a trace. And that is how the “COPIE LEIDEN” was created.