posted 02-05-2007 11:35 AM            

The spoon was made in Berlin between 1850 and 1854. It bears marks of two assayers in accordance with the Berlin guild regulations from 1819. The first has the city mark - a rampant bear - with the letter K, the mark of assayer JCS Kessner, in office 1819-1854. The secondary assayer's mark is the letter C, that of JWD Friedrich, in office 1848-1854. The maker's mark is FRIEDEBERG for Heinrich Friedeberg, master 1850. The master date of 1850 gives the lower limit and the final year of both assayers in 1854 gives the upper limit: thus 1850-1854. Your spoon is probably 12 lot (.750) silver, the Berlin minimum fineness; pieces of higher quality has to be so marked.

posted 02-05-2007 03:42 PM            

Since you seem to collect a lot of German silver, you might find this link useful. It gives the the alphabet in classical German script known as "Scrhrift" in use until the middle of the 19th century (and revived by the Nazis). I think the letters on the spoon may be "F" rather than "T".
[IMG gone from the internet - h-roesler.de/_text/kopf.gif]

Translation: Welcome to the site of the German Schrift Foundation.

You don't need to read German to benefit from the alphabet list.

Hope this helps,
Tom.]

posted 02-05-2007 05:47 PM            

Actually, it was made in the last decade or so before German unification, and has a rather interesting and complete set of marks. The monograph suggests it was part of a set that has been broken up. Who knows how many of these items are left in the world? I was at an antiques market in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria last year. Spoons like that were going for 25 or more Euros apiece. You might want to wait before relegating it to Rice Krispies duty!