posted 01-23-2007 01:03 AM            

I think this is the earliest souvenir spoon I have seen. It shows two putti around a plaque that reads "FRIEDE / D 30 MAI / 1814", or "Freedom, May 30 1814."

Taken from Wikipedia:

quote:

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The 1814 Treaty of Paris, signed on May 30, 1814, ended the war between France and the Sixth Coalition of the United Kingdom, Russia, Austria, Sweden and Prussia. It also enforced the abdication of Napoleon I. France's borders were restored to those of 1792 but there was little punitive action against France, except that the Seychelles were ceded to the United Kingdom. The greater territorial reshaping of Europe was reserved for the Congress of Vienna.

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So, this spoon, though unmarked, is presumably Austrian or Prussian produced as a commemorative of the signing of the 1814 Treaty of Paris. Also it is silver, not plated. I do feel that it is from 1814, based on the form, lettering style on the front, and style of monogram on the reverse.

The construction of the spoon is interesting. The handle is actually hollow; the decorative part is a fairly thin die-stamping, the back of the handle is a flat backing to the die-stamped front (think of the construction of Unger Brothers brooches). To warrant cutting a die for the design, I suspect the spoon was, if not mass-produced, at least made in some quantity. However, because of the flimsy construction, probably many did not survive. Mine actually has either a repair or a later-added piece of reinforcing silver on the handle.

posted 02-07-2009 10:26 AM            

It certainly could date from the period.

posted 10-05-2011 09:21 AM            

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[26-2201]

As I'm a new member I couldn't post a reply to your topic (Early souvenir spoon), hence the reason for the subject of this posting...

In answer to the questions in the yellow box:

What is your interest in silver?

General interest. I like silver.

What is it that you hope to learn from this question?

I was hoping to contribute some information in extrapolating on the original posters question.

What is your purpose in asking?

I wasn't really asking anything, just contributing. Hoping to provide more information so that someone might deduce something from this little puzzle.

Well this is exciting, I had a set of 4 of these spoons! Well, 3 now after one was tragically mangled in the garbage disposal (I still have it). To add to the mystery, the set has one putti spoons and one with a portrait of whom I presume is Empress Josephine and one with a portrait of Napoleon, at least I think that's who they are. The putti spoon is the one depicting a quiver of arrows. That was one that was mangled. There is a mark on the back.

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