Unique Soup Spoons

SPOONS by ROBERTS and BELK

We treasure these spoons, a set of eight, which were handed down from our mother and avid collector of early Canadian furniture, and other interesting things. We have not come across a similar set in our research; they are unique.
The hallmarks on the spoons may be decoded as follows:
The R&B stamped on the stem refers to either Samuel Roberts and William Briggs (1858) or Samuel Roberts and Charles Belk, who formed a partnership in 1863 to continue the line of cutlery manufacturing begun in 1809. “S” is clearly for Sheffield, the company location. The fancy scripted “EP” stands for electroplating, a chemical process in which silver molecules are deposited on an object of lesser value metal, such as copper, iron or nickel. The figure of the “Lamp” is another indication that the article on which it has been stamped is indeed silver plated. The lamp figure also appears on the heel of the bowl of the spoon, above the Registered mark Rd. 145168. The shield with a ring on top and the letter “B” inside is believed to be a date stamp indicating London 1877. This perhaps refers to the purity of the silver used, assayed in London.
The spoons are used often, and we enjoy their heft and the extra volume of soup they hold. However, they are are best used by right-handed people - we have yet to see a left-handed set!