posted 10-05-2007 06:07 PM            

Hello to all members,

At first I miss a lot of questions from other members about their silver objects from own collections. There have been a lot of objects treaded in topics in the past.

Sometimes I check the search function, only if I understand it well, some photo's of older topics can't be showed anymore. With the reaction(s) at each topic there is always something to learn. But I don't know if it's possible to get a reaction for instance when there is showed a silver/ed object in a new topic and recognize the one and people can react with showing about nearly the same pattern but it's made in another country.

More information how they made it, sometimes I read a topic and see that there are members who will give technical advise, considering repairing a silver object.

From my side I should send each day a new topic (hopeful) a new silver object of course!

But I think there will be a reaction of for instance: here we go again?

I'm learning not to buy everything what looks like silvered/plated I just begin to learn about all that marks. Knowledge who will never can be stopped because I recognize a lot of members are(It seems to me) EXPERT/S. The reason to use this worth is not with the meaning to get always a answer that is what I've learned also. It's possible that nobody can recognize that cheap silver plated objects I just collecting! After a few hours of cleaning I'm always satisfied with founding some marks, trying to find out and if I can't find it or now that the possibility for to get a reaction on a new topic I give it a try. So here we go again .

Today after visiting my favorite second hand shop, I went home on my bike with a little plastic bag filled with a few silverplated things.

Learning to say first hello by coming home, for just begin to clean the things.

There are five little spoons I will show, about 6 inches long, turned steel and with a same thinner rounded end. The steel is rather long and also the bowl. The weight is about 20 gram.

Just above the bowl there is a very little (1 mm ) script letter: I (i)stamp, a tax mark for old dutch made silver items, that come back in circulation which did not bear older tax mark. It can be found as the only mark on some pieces and does not guarantee any particular standard in these ases.

This mark is used (I think) only in the Netherlands? Is there for instance also a letter mark used in the USA with the same purpose.

At the back of the spoon just in the rounding from the steel and the bowl there is a hardly recognize (2 mm )mark. I hope it's a master mark because there is a little crown at the top.

I made a little drawing of the mark because it isn't to get sharp with the camera.

If it's not possible to recognize the master mark I've to look sometimes in the silver museum just one hour on the bike!

I hope somebody can give me any information about these (hopefully old dutch little spoons). And my last question is: where did they used it for? Punch,olives,fruit? And are they also familiar in the USA by the
way they are made?

Thanks for you attention and have a nice weekend(just starting right now!)

Success with the hobby!

posted 10-08-2007 07:57 PM            

It appears the handles or stems of the spoons (you called it the "steel" - meaning "stele" perhaps?) are made from silver rod that is twisted into that spiral fashion before the end is bent back and soldered to itself (and the bowl too if there's a join there). Although they may have been made for a specific (one use) purpose, usually such spoons get used for different things, so they are not likely to have one name (like "olive spoon"). Usually it would probably be called a tea spoon.

Back to the hunt!

posted 10-09-2007 09:32 AM            

There is a book about dutch silver tells about a lot of marks over a few centuries that one I have to buy once or have try to find in the central library. The last time I also buy silvered little vases. Factory mark is put on the most but sometimes I find a special mark which also is difficult to find out.

A personal sign made by the silversmith.

But I keep going, with a few dollars I hope of fun.

I hope everything goes well over there and enjoy life.

Greetings
Silverhunter.

posted 11-01-2007 07:58 PM            

I had a set of Siamese spoons in this form a while back, which were much springier than a normal silver spoon as they are made from very tightly wound silver wire.

As far as those marks being used in the USA, earlier American silversmiths were very fond of using "pseudomarks", which were a mish mash of other countries marks, and marks created from the mind of the maker, which weren't indicative of anything. Sometimes though these marks were popular in certain regions: I see a kind of rampant lion on many New England spoons, and they use an eagle frequently in New York, often combined with a sovereign head.

I hope this helps you somewhat.

posted 11-02-2007 04:23 AM            

Thank you for reacting this late dated topic and for your interesting giving information.

I think that recognize silver objects can mean that they are made in different countries using the same idea or pattern.

This week I put the same question about these spoons at a big silver antique shop in Holland. They didn't knew the silver mark, but confirmed the pattern as long drink spoons.

This website shows also silver makers marks about 400 silversmiths, that's the one were I've looked for WF. (like I explained before).

Adelapt explained the technique about making these one's very well.

They are hand made and perhaps I offer find out the makers name I think at a period of perhaps around 1900 or still earlier. (I hope).

But I'm very helped with your information so thanks a lot,
silverhunter.