Hi,
I’m a newcomer to your site, asking for help to identify a 5-inch silver spoon with engraved/decorated handle and on back of bowl. Three marks on handle - quite faint - appear to be: 1847, 84, and a city mark. Spoon bowl has yellow/gold wash. Three pictures are attached.
Some research on silver websites suggests Russian. Any assistance re. date and origin would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Ursula
Hello,
This is, as you suspected, Russian. The 84 mark is the grade of silver, which is 84 zlotnik. The 1847 is just as it seems to be, the date of manufacture. Can you get a better picture of the city mark, or try to describe it. Most spoons like this were made in either Moscow or St.Petersburg. There shouold also be a makers mark somewhere, but it is probably distorted in the narrow stem.
The yellow wash is gold plating and the black inlay is Niello.
Thank you for this info. I’m attaching one additional photo which appears to resemble Moscow city mark. No maker’s mark is visible to me.
Your comments are greatly appreciated!
Ursula
Hello Ursula,
Quite right. That is St.George and the dragon, the Moscow city mark. It looks like the maker’s mark and the assay master’s mark have been obliterated in the after assaying proceedure.
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks again for helping solve this mystery!
Ursula
Hello!
This is really a mystery to have no masters mark with assay mark. Assay offices had to ensure that plate had masters mark before assaying if this plate comes from a master. But if it came from a private person for assaying (he could buy it without any marks, say, at the fair) , it was possible to have only assay marks. I don’t have the text of the according law before the 1857 right now in front of me, but the law of 1857 that i have on my computer says abut this.
Have a great day!
Hello M. Olag,
Thanks for this new information - so the mystery is still with us. All the more, as I have no idea how this spoon came to my family.
Regards,
Ursula