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Author	Topic: Russian Spoon
Raf Steel Posts: 94 Registered: Jul 2005	posted 10-22-2005 12:36 PM [26-0722] Hello everybody. I bought a spoon which I believe is Russian. It is only marked with "12" for 800 I presume, but no maker's mark. What was it purpose (it is about 18 cm long), and could it be possible to identify the maker through the form of the spoon? Am I correct in believing was made about 1900? IP: Logged
tmockait Posts: 963 Registered: Jul 2004	posted 10-22-2005 03:02 PM Raf, I don't think your spoon is Russian at all. Russian silver silver is usually marked by a Zolotnik for purity(e.g. 84= 87.5% silver), a kokoshnik (woman's head facing left or right, depending on the date), a town mark and possibly a maker's mark (initials in Cyrillic or Latin letters). Your piece seems to have none of these marks. Type "Russian" in the search function for many forum threads on this subject. Good luck, Tom IP: Logged
Raf Steel Posts: 94 Registered: Jul 2005	posted 10-23-2005 03:26 AM Tom, I know that the spoon doesn't carry any Russian markings, and that the '12' is a marking used in Austria-Hungary, but somehow the style doesn't match the production there. Maybe an Austrian spoon made after a Russian model, or a Russian emigré silversmith working outside his native country? I bought it together with a whole bunch of Dutch items (made between 1819-1920), so I haven't got a clue about its history. I just checked on the '12', it should be 750 and not 800, as I thought. Maybe that explains why there is no makers mark? (bellow most legal standards in Europe) IP: Logged
tmockait Posts: 963 Registered: Jul 2004	posted 10-23-2005 04:03 PM Sorry Raf, I misunderstood. For what it is worth, I have seen German silver marked with nothing but a loth mark as you suggest here (see this thread: unusual spoons, German or Austrian). Since Austria-Hunary, Germany, and Russia controlled Polish territory passed around among the three of them (and AH contolled other Slavic terriroties as well), I find it historically quite plausible that Russian silversmiths operated within Germany and AH and had to mark Russian styles with the occuppiers' marks. If that is the case though, shouldn't your piece be pre 1888 if it is German and pre-1867 if it is Austria when a different marking system was introduced? Blackstone and/or Sazikov are your best bets for sorting this one out. Good IP: Logged
Raf Steel Posts: 94 Registered: Jul 2005	posted 10-24-2005 02:57 AM I was thinking about a Polish connection as well, but as you say, let us wait and see what the experts think? Datewise, pre 1867 seems to me to be too early, but then I don't know when the 'vogue' for naturalistic silver started in Russia and neighbouring countries. Thanks for your helpful suggestions. I couldn't acces the thread though. IP: Logged
tmockait Posts: 963 Registered: Jul 2004	posted 10-24-2005 10:43 AM I fixed the link. Try it now. IP: Logged

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