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 American Silver before sterling
 Memorial spoon?
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| Author | Topic: Memorial spoon? |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 11-08-2004 02:34 PM
  
First of all, greetings from a raw newbie and thanks in advance for your patience. I recently bought a spoon at a flea market, with initials and dates engraved on the back: "LBP 1846-1899." The spoon itself is coin silver with what I think is called a tipped fiddle handle (told you I'm a total newbie!) and is stamped N. Harding in an incuse (am I getting these words right?). There's no "& Co." Here's my question: What's with the initials and dates--is this spoon commemorating the death of LBP, whoever he or she may be? And do the dates 1846 and 1899 have anything to do with the date when the spoon was manufactured? This thread: http://www.smpub.com/ubb/Forum19/HTML/000327.html leads me to think that the spoon was made by Newell Harding in Boston, but one of the posters suggests that after 1842 Harding (or his company) started adding "& Co." But 1842 is earlier than the earlier of the two dates engraved on the spoon. If I haven't worn out your patience yet, here's another question. I also bought a coin silver spoon that's engraved "J.S.V.R. to H.L.H." Any idea why J.S.V.R. might have given H.L.H. a spoon? Was it common to give someone a spoon and engrave it like that? Were there common spoon-giving occasions? And one final question: Can I use these spoons to stir my tea, or should I refrain? Thanks so much! I'm finding these little bits of social history recorded on spoons incredibly intriguing. IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 11-09-2004 11:03 AM
Polly, we all started out at some point and my only qualification is to your last question, as I am still a beginner on the rest. Use it! All silver, continental, coin, sterling, are meant for daily use... But with a proviso, that in asending order the above alloys of silver get softer. ie 800/1000, 900/1000, 925/1000, and that relative to other materials (like brass or steel) all silver alloys are subject to wear or denting. This means for practical use do not use any polish except made for silver, do not wash in a dishwasher, avoid bumping on hard sufaces,like sinks, and lastly never use green scratch pads to clean with. Gentle daily use will not harm a well made piece of silver, but if it is already delicate, worn, compromised by damage or valuable, then ocasional use at the most. Lastly coin spoons are quite durable, if in good shape, I have seen Georgian sterling Irish spoons with 1/4 of the bowl worn away (they never got new ones made) and coin from the same period has only a little wear. Good luck and happy use. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 11-09-2004 11:58 AM
Thanks, Algeopar! You've given me courage--as I type this, I'm using my LBP spoon to eat my yogurt. (Wish I knew who he/she was & whether he/she liked yogurt...) IP: Logged |
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adelapt Posts: 418 |
posted 11-09-2004 01:23 PM
Another reply to part of your query Polly. Silver spoons are a traditional christening present, and have been (in Britain at least) for centuries. People still give them (as I do). Some like to have engraved on the gift a commemorative inscription, but spoons being small, initials tend to predominate. Maybe your yoghurt spoon shows the initials of a long gone fond grandparent/aunt/uncle, along with those of the child. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 11-09-2004 02:36 PM
That makes sense--I've given babies silver spoons myself. Why was I thinking it had to be an adult? I guess it was the size of the spoon, the same as a modern teaspoon. IP: Logged |
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