Posted 13 years ago
stonewallh…
(1 item)
Found this on the beach near Ventura Ca the other day. It washed onshore in a wave. It may be gold-plate or brass? It has writing on back that says something like "74 G" or "574 G" or "747 G", can't quite tell. It also has a manufacturer's stamp that seems to start with "LY", then can't make out a few letters, then perhaps has "OO" after that. It has an eagle imprint at the top of the handle, with some kind of Crest or decorative shield below the eagle. I would appreciate any info on this item from someone who knows about antique spoons/flatware. I am guessing it could have ended up in the ocean around the Channel Islands, and washed ashore. There are dozens of shipwrecks from the Gold Rush era to later 1800s that it could perhaps have come from. Thanks, in advance, for any info!
I live near there... Now I think I'd better start beach picking! A new hobby! Awesome find, I'm totally jealous!
To me it looks like a brass or bronze, since their composition is so similar its hard to tell which exactly, leaning toward bronze though. See that brown patina? And the verdigris? Those are things that happen to copper alloys like bronze/brass. Its very interesting, I would think that bronze flatware would be unusual. Now go find the rest of the set!