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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 American Silver before sterling
 Troublesome spoon?
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| Author | Topic: Troublesome spoon? |
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Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 |
posted 09-24-2006 03:15 PM
  
[19-0723] When I saw this poor spoon in a case, it looked like a recast coin silver spoon due to the soft details and the blurry marks which are illegible to me. However, upon handling the spoon, it seems to be genuinely old...the spoon is lightweight and flexible like coin silver, and the poor details seem to be from honest wear. Additionally, the bowl shows wear commensurate with 19th century age (worn, rolled over tip, minor scattered dings). The marks still strike me as funny. I can't tell if they are just worn or if something is wrong with them. Since the spoon was only a few dollars, I bought it for entertainment value. It measures 5 3/8" long. I have shown the marks twice, rotated two different ways. Does anybody have any thoughts about this spoon? IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 09-24-2006 04:02 PM
If you stare at one of these long enough, about the time you decide you can't make anything out, you all of a sudden see it. The lower photo is right side up and reads MUNRO. The mark is that of John Munro, New Brunswick, Canada. The small mark should be N•B for New Brunswick, although I can't quite read it as such - cleaning out some of the tarnish might help clear it up. IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 09-24-2006 05:14 PM
Swarter, Bfore your post, I stared and stared but it just didn't happen for me. After your suggestion it is very obivious. Thank you for your insight and vision... IP: Logged |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 09-24-2006 05:33 PM
Swarter, would you happen to have a copy of a legible Munroe mark? IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 09-24-2006 06:33 PM
  Here are some later spoons by Munro, with coffin-fiddle handles. This is obviously not the same mark as on Paul's spoon, but he does seem to have had an odd taste in marks; maybe he cut them himself! Brent IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 09-24-2006 06:42 PM
There is also the possibility that the maker is John's father, Alexander Munro, who lived till 1828. A similar mark to Paul's is found on Indian trade silver, which he was known to supplied. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 09-24-2006 10:57 PM
I get too much exercize jumping to conclusions -- wev is probably correct, as usual. I have looked more closely at a xerox copy of Langdon's Guide to Marks, which has photos of one of Alexander's marks and three of John's, none of which are exact matches, but the mark for Alexander is cruder than those of John's. All are all caps. The dates for Alexander, 1754 - 1828, and for John, 1813 - 1864 are a better fit with the spoon style for the elder one, as is the style of the lettering and shape of the punch in Alexander's mark. Either would be possible, but I lean towards the father. IP: Logged |
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FWG Posts: 845 |
posted 09-25-2006 09:33 AM
Both Langdon and MacKay ( Silversmiths and Related Craftsmen of the Atlantic Provinces ) illustrate marks for Alexander that are awfully close to this one. MacKay gives a lot of information on both father and (especially) son. Alexander was born in Scotland, then 30 years later appears in Shelburne, Nova Scotia; in or shortly before 1795 he moved to St. John, NB, where he had shops in at least two locations, and turned the business over to John (who had worked in his father's shop) in 1819. Interestingly, I don't see Brent's Munro mark in either Langdon or MacKay.... [This message has been edited by FWG (edited 09-25-2006).] IP: Logged |
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Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 |
posted 09-25-2006 12:13 PM
Thanks for all of the great info. I'm glad the spoon is a little more interesting than common New England coin silver, which I had assumed it to be. I have a copy of MacKay so I will look at that this evening. IP: Logged |
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vathek Posts: 966 |
posted 05-04-2017 12:33 PM
I just found one of these Munro spoons and the mark was very puzzling. Thanks SMP for saving me a lot of work figuring this one out. IP: Logged |
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