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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 Continental / International Silver
 help with a double-struck mark, please
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| Author | Topic: help with a double-struck mark, please |
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Keith Posts: 7 |
posted 01-23-2009 09:03 AM
  
[26-1792] Hi All, This is my first post. I bought an American colonial spoon which I think is 1760 or earlier. Unfortunately the mark was double-struck and is difficult to discern. I was hoping that somebody here might recognize it. I've uploaded some photos. I am not a big computer person so I hope that I've followed all your rules (which are pretty intimidating). Anyhow, the links are below. Thanks for any help! Keith
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Keith Posts: 7 |
posted 01-23-2009 10:16 AM
Hi. This is Keith again. I bought this spoon because I have an interest in history. I live in a small NJ town where G. Washington camped after the Battle of Princeton. His troops were actually in my back yard. Next door is a 300 year old house that served as his HQ for a few days. There's just something about silver, you know? I have no plans to resell the spoon unless I lose my job, in which case I'll do whatever it takes to pull my family through. I now have a small collection of 18th century American spoons, about 30 pieces or so. anyhow, I am sorry to take your time. Keith IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 01-23-2009 12:00 PM
Hello, Keith. Welcome to the forums. You are correct about the period - mid century - of the spoon, however there is some doubt that it is of American Colonial origin. Immigrant families often brought their family silver with them, so although the spoon may not have been made in the colonies, it may still have an American history. The proportions of bowl to handle, the decoration on the bowl back, and the style of the mark are more European in nature, but it is true that immigrant silversmiths sometimes continued to work in the styles they were familiar with. The engraving is certainly of Anglo-American style, but I have seen it on spoons of Continental origin, too. If American, I would suspect it to be of New York Dutch origin, but there is not enough of the mark that is clear enough for me to recognize as American from the photograph. Perhaps one of our Continental contributors will be able to recognize it. What is the size of the spoon? IP: Logged |
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Keith Posts: 7 |
posted 01-23-2009 12:11 PM
Thanks swarter! the spoon is 7.5 inches in length. i guess i took my chances that this was colonial American but that's how it was sold to me. i thought that surely it must be colonial with only one mark.. Keith IP: Logged |
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Hose_dk Posts: 400 |
posted 01-23-2009 01:38 PM
I am sorry but I cannot get any further. European I am sure. The spoons heel drop is unusual - I have never seen anything like that. Mark definetely european - could very well be germany or northern europe (Denmark/Norway) but that I do not think (nordic). So around germany is most likely. Definitively 1700. I will have the mark in mind. [This message has been edited by Hose_dk (edited 01-23-2009).] IP: Logged |
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Keith Posts: 7 |
posted 01-23-2009 02:36 PM
Thanks so much, Hose_dk. May I ask what makes the mark so obviously european? IP: Logged |
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Hose_dk Posts: 400 |
posted 01-23-2009 04:36 PM
English is not my first language. So maybe not the mark is typical european, but the tradition of setting a single mark. Like we have here. Makers mark on items in this period. The tradition that regulations said that there should be several marks - but many places there was only one silversmith (in town) and therefore there was noone to control his work. Lots of silver from 1700/1800 contains only makers mark. That was what I ment. I will not be surpriced in case this is european 1700dreds. [This message has been edited by Hose_dk (edited 01-23-2009).] IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 01-23-2009 05:40 PM
It is really hard to say with such a mangled marking, but there seems to be a fairly clear '3' in it. This makes me think of either the German states or the Austro-Hungarian region where they used the loth as a unit of silver content with 13 lothige being one of the more commonly seen purities which translates into .8125 pure. The highest standard was 15 which was .9375 pure and the lowest was 12 lothige which was .750 pure. As Swarter points out, immigrants to the American colonies typically brought whatever silver they had with them since it represented easily portable and convertible wealth. I would guess that the bulk of silver objects in the colonies in those days was such individually imported silver rather and objects made by American silversmiths. IP: Logged |
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