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Antique Silver Spoons
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As the oldest type of flatware, spoons have existed in some form or another since Ancient Rome, at least. In medieval times, spoons were given as baptism presents in wealthy circles. Because inns did not have anything as luxurious as spoons for...
As the oldest type of flatware, spoons have existed in some form or another since Ancient Rome, at least. In medieval times, spoons were given as baptism presents in wealthy circles. Because inns did not have anything as luxurious as spoons for their guests, innkeepers expected their well-heeled customers to supply their own.
Indeed, the phrase “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” actually reveals quite a bit about the time—whether or not one owned a spoon, not to mention its quality and value, spoke volumes about an individual’s socio-economic status.
As with all other metalware, spoons marked as sterling silver are 92.5 percent silver plus 7.5 percent copper and other trace elements. This standard originated in England in the 13th century and got the backing of British law in 1300, when Edward I mandated that sterling silver bear a hallmark in order to prevent fraud.
Hundreds of years later, in the 1840s, this standard became increasingly important with the development of electroplating, which required significantly less silver to produce something that looked like solid sterling. Suddenly, spoons and other utensils were mass-produced, with a wider range of silver content than ever before. The sterling-silver standard is still enforced in England today by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
Until the mid-19th century, spoons were typically the only form of flatware used at the dining table (knives were shared while forks, though introduced in 16th-century Italy, didn’t catch on for a few hundred years). The earliest surviving spoons of note are the Apostle spoons, which generally date from the 15th century. Each bears a small, full-figure bust on the end of its stem. These silver spoons were produced in sets of 13—one for each of the 12 Apostles, plus a larger “master” spoon for Christ. Individual apostle spoons were often given as a christening present to children who had been named after a specific apostle, and sometimes these antique spoons are found with engraved initials and dates on their backsides.
The 17th century saw major developments for spoons: Setting tables with flatware finally came into vogue, thanks to practices in the French court. In England, the teaspoon was introduced to help tea drinkers remove floating leaves from their tea; previously, tea drinkers had simply swallowed them. The original size of teaspoons was dictated by an old measurement scale called the Apothecaries’ System, in which teaspoons measured one fluid dram or drachm, exactly one quarter the size of a tablespoon. As tea became cheaper, the size of teaspoons and teacups grew, such that the teaspoon was one third the volume of a tablespoon.
Teaspoons, combined with the growing popularity of the fork, sparked a process of differentiation for utensils. The tea trend also inspired other unique utensils, like the caddy spoon—a flat, wide scoop used to pour dry tea leaves—and the mote spoon, which featured a pierced bowl to strain leaves when pouring into a teacup and a narrow pointed handle to clear leaves from a teapot’s clogged spout. In the 1680s, trefid spoons emerged, which had shallower, egg-shaped bowls and a trefoil end on their handles. Silver trefid spoons from the 17th century were typically engraved with decorative scrollwork or floral designs and a silversmith’s mark. A few decades later, these spoons evolved into the “dog-nose” shape. In the years to come, a variety of designs emerged: King’s, Fiddle Thread, and Shell, just to name a few.
The first attempt to mass produce flatware was led by William Darby of Sheffield, England, who patented a machine for stamping the shape and pattern of spoons in 1785. Very few of Darby’s antique spoons have survived, so it’s likely they weren’t a big seller.
Matching place settings didn’t become very popular until the 18th century, and as these sets spread, different spoons emerged as place pieces, including dessert spoons, soup spoons, sorbet spoons, citrus spoons, and egg spoons. The most extravagant Victorian services had as many as 14 different silver pieces per place setting.
Other innovative styles were developed for serving pieces, such as berry spoons, ice cream spoons, salt spoons, mustard spoons, olive spoons, preserve spoons, and tablespoons. Some styles were regional, like the toddy ladles popular in Scotland and Ireland, which had longer, more narrow stems and smaller spoon bowls than sauce ladles and were used to serve hot toddies from a punchbowl.
From the 1890s to 1920s, commemorative or souvenir spoons also enjoyed a burst of popularity, some of which were given out by businesses as a form of advertising. Typically, souvenir spoons paid tribute to cities, scenery, events, people, and more. In the West, for example, some spoons depicted the robbery of a stagecoach.
Naturally, antique commemorative spoons made from sterling silver are generally more valuable than those which are only silver-plated. Silver spoons produced by well-known firms, like Tiffany & Co. or Georg Jensen, often fetch higher prices if they are part of a complete boxed set with original packaging.
Continue readingAs the oldest type of flatware, spoons have existed in some form or another since Ancient Rome, at least. In medieval times, spoons were given as baptism presents in wealthy circles. Because inns did not have anything as luxurious as spoons for their guests, innkeepers expected their well-heeled customers to supply their own.
Indeed, the phrase “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” actually reveals quite a bit about the time—whether or not one owned a spoon, not to mention its quality and value, spoke volumes about an individual’s socio-economic status.
As with all other metalware, spoons marked as sterling silver are 92.5 percent silver plus 7.5 percent copper and other trace elements. This standard originated in England in the 13th century and got the backing of British law in 1300, when Edward I mandated that sterling silver bear a hallmark in order to prevent fraud.
Hundreds of years later, in the 1840s, this standard became increasingly important with the development of electroplating, which required significantly less silver to produce something that looked like solid sterling. Suddenly, spoons and other utensils were mass-produced, with a wider range of silver content than ever before. The sterling-silver standard is still enforced in England today by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
Until the mid-19th century, spoons were typically the only form of flatware used at the dining table (knives were shared while forks, though introduced in 16th-century Italy, didn’t catch on for a few hundred years). The earliest surviving spoons of note are the Apostle spoons, which generally date from the 15th century. Each bears a small, full-figure bust on the end of its stem. These silver spoons were produced in sets of 13—one for each of the 12 Apostles, plus a larger “master” spoon for Christ. Individual apostle spoons were often given as a christening present to children who had been named after a specific apostle, and sometimes these antique spoons...
As the oldest type of flatware, spoons have existed in some form or another since Ancient Rome, at least. In medieval times, spoons were given as baptism presents in wealthy circles. Because inns did not have anything as luxurious as spoons for their guests, innkeepers expected their well-heeled customers to supply their own.
Indeed, the phrase “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” actually reveals quite a bit about the time—whether or not one owned a spoon, not to mention its quality and value, spoke volumes about an individual’s socio-economic status.
As with all other metalware, spoons marked as sterling silver are 92.5 percent silver plus 7.5 percent copper and other trace elements. This standard originated in England in the 13th century and got the backing of British law in 1300, when Edward I mandated that sterling silver bear a hallmark in order to prevent fraud.
Hundreds of years later, in the 1840s, this standard became increasingly important with the development of electroplating, which required significantly less silver to produce something that looked like solid sterling. Suddenly, spoons and other utensils were mass-produced, with a wider range of silver content than ever before. The sterling-silver standard is still enforced in England today by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
Until the mid-19th century, spoons were typically the only form of flatware used at the dining table (knives were shared while forks, though introduced in 16th-century Italy, didn’t catch on for a few hundred years). The earliest surviving spoons of note are the Apostle spoons, which generally date from the 15th century. Each bears a small, full-figure bust on the end of its stem. These silver spoons were produced in sets of 13—one for each of the 12 Apostles, plus a larger “master” spoon for Christ. Individual apostle spoons were often given as a christening present to children who had been named after a specific apostle, and sometimes these antique spoons are found with engraved initials and dates on their backsides.
The 17th century saw major developments for spoons: Setting tables with flatware finally came into vogue, thanks to practices in the French court. In England, the teaspoon was introduced to help tea drinkers remove floating leaves from their tea; previously, tea drinkers had simply swallowed them. The original size of teaspoons was dictated by an old measurement scale called the Apothecaries’ System, in which teaspoons measured one fluid dram or drachm, exactly one quarter the size of a tablespoon. As tea became cheaper, the size of teaspoons and teacups grew, such that the teaspoon was one third the volume of a tablespoon.
Teaspoons, combined with the growing popularity of the fork, sparked a process of differentiation for utensils. The tea trend also inspired other unique utensils, like the caddy spoon—a flat, wide scoop used to pour dry tea leaves—and the mote spoon, which featured a pierced bowl to strain leaves when pouring into a teacup and a narrow pointed handle to clear leaves from a teapot’s clogged spout. In the 1680s, trefid spoons emerged, which had shallower, egg-shaped bowls and a trefoil end on their handles. Silver trefid spoons from the 17th century were typically engraved with decorative scrollwork or floral designs and a silversmith’s mark. A few decades later, these spoons evolved into the “dog-nose” shape. In the years to come, a variety of designs emerged: King’s, Fiddle Thread, and Shell, just to name a few.
The first attempt to mass produce flatware was led by William Darby of Sheffield, England, who patented a machine for stamping the shape and pattern of spoons in 1785. Very few of Darby’s antique spoons have survived, so it’s likely they weren’t a big seller.
Matching place settings didn’t become very popular until the 18th century, and as these sets spread, different spoons emerged as place pieces, including dessert spoons, soup spoons, sorbet spoons, citrus spoons, and egg spoons. The most extravagant Victorian services had as many as 14 different silver pieces per place setting.
Other innovative styles were developed for serving pieces, such as berry spoons, ice cream spoons, salt spoons, mustard spoons, olive spoons, preserve spoons, and tablespoons. Some styles were regional, like the toddy ladles popular in Scotland and Ireland, which had longer, more narrow stems and smaller spoon bowls than sauce ladles and were used to serve hot toddies from a punchbowl.
From the 1890s to 1920s, commemorative or souvenir spoons also enjoyed a burst of popularity, some of which were given out by businesses as a form of advertising. Typically, souvenir spoons paid tribute to cities, scenery, events, people, and more. In the West, for example, some spoons depicted the robbery of a stagecoach.
Naturally, antique commemorative spoons made from sterling silver are generally more valuable than those which are only silver-plated. Silver spoons produced by well-known firms, like Tiffany & Co. or Georg Jensen, often fetch higher prices if they are part of a complete boxed set with original packaging.
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This is a great reference site on silver, courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum. You can...
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An extensive reference guide to silver marks, hallmarks, trademarks and maker's marks found on...
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The late Sir Arthur Gilbert's collection of European silver, gold, enamel, and other items is...
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