I think I found some coin silver spoons.

[shofs]

No one was having any sales this morning because we had a light snow so I didn't expect much from today but I think I got lucky. My fiance wanted to go to an antique store to find wedding stuff and I of course tagged along. When she was checking out I saw a set off old looking spoons next to the register so I asked how much they were and the lady said she just got them in. She takes out a loupe and checks them out and says she doesn't believe they are sterling so $2.50 a piece . I bought all that she had which ended up being 6 total. Each one weighs about 24 grams and I am hoping they are 1800's coin silver since I can't identify the hallmarks and they have the thin profile those old coin silver pieces have. I did an acid test and it checks out for silver but I didn't want to scratch to deep and leave a mark so I hope its not just a super thick plating. I can't see any signs of bubbling coating or an under metal showing through anywhere so I'm 80% sure they are solid silver.

Does anyone have any leads on the hallmarks? I'm pretty stumped on them.

 

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[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Nice pick !!
Yeah 10-15 seems to mean "Coin Silver"
But, they don't seem to be just that.
Those other marks could be important.. Something to research !!

Keep @ it and HH !!

 

[leadnugget]

similar one marked eagle, T, star.


Silver Forums at 925-1000.com

 

[diggummup]

Nice set of American coin silver spoons. Are the bowls dented or is that just the pic.? They are fiddle shaped, I believe that's what they call them. Also, the marks are referred to as pseudo hallmarks.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

I'm no silver expert at all! On a thread where I had some posted, Tamrock provided this link for silver hallmarks.
I had found it helpful. Nice haul! HH!

Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks

oh oh, and at the top of the Garage Sale thread is a "sticky" master lists of reference sources. There's 3 links for silver, just scroll down to it.

 

[shofs]

I asked some coin silver experts over at 950-100.com and they said the spoons are from around 1835 and the pseudo hallmarks have been seen before but remain unidentified. They also said they were probably made in Maryland. The thread is here if anyone would like to see--> Silver Forums at 925-1000.com

similar one marked eagle, T, star.

Silver Forums at 925-1000.com

Nice detective work! I was actually looking through the same forums and I couldn't find a similar mark but you nailed it. Thank you! Lots of good info here.

Nice set of American coin silver spoons. Are the bowls dented or is that just the pic.? They are fiddle shaped, I believe that's what they call them. Also, the marks are referred to as pseudo hallmarks.

They are very sadly dented! The rest of the handle and even the hallmarks are in great shape though. But for something that's around 175 years old I won't complain . Diggummup you don't happen to know of anyway to take those dents out do you?

I'm no silver expert at all! On a thread where I had some posted, Tamrock provided this link for silver hallmarks.
I had found it helpful. Nice haul! HH!

Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks

oh oh, and at the top of the Garage Sale thread is a "sticky" master lists of reference sources. There's 3 links for silver, just scroll down to it.

Thank you for the help Unfortunately, I have learned that these marks are called "pseudo hallmarks" and very hard to track down. The only source that the marks were found in was a book which has them as "unidentified" so for now the search is sadly over.

 

[diggummup]

They are very sadly dented! The rest of the handle and even the hallmarks are in great shape though. But for something that's around 175 years old I won't complain . Diggummup you don't happen to know of anyway to take those dents out do you?

I've never tried, there are companies that do it. Don't know what they charge though. Here's one- Berman Fine Silverwork silversmith silver repair San Mateo San Francisco Bay Area

I did find this-

Dents are almost always from the back of the spoon upwards. Shallow dents are the easiest to deal with. Depending on the size of the spoon and/or the size of the dent you put your dome-headed punch in a vice (bearing in mind that this punch may be the rounded end of a pudding-spoon handle!) invert the spoon bowl and put it on the punch so that the dent is located exactly over it - and wield your hammer.

You will probably be a bit cautious to begin with but you will need to hit quite hard. The main thing to watch is the exact position. Sometimes it is a good idea (particularly with table-spoons) to use the wooden spoon-bowl end as the support: this helps prevent any distortion. But you will gradually find all this out for yourself.

The golden rule is to start by dealing with a simple, shallow dent; and then go on to the more difficult stuff.

Deep dents require a different approach, at least to begin with. Sometimes these are so pushed up that there is a crease in the centre of the dent (quite hard to eliminate). The difference is that with these deeper dents you start by working on the front interior of the bowl.

Silversmiths use what they call a 'sand bag' which looks like a giant leather pouffe, filled with sand, which will support whatever you are pushing or hammering out. I find the firmly upholstered arm of an armchair a satisfactory alternative.

And it is here that you find a wooden pudding spoon very useful. Putting the back of the silver spoon against this firm support you push hard at the dent using a kind of circular rubbing motion. With a teaspoon I use the handle end; with a tablespoon I use the bowl end. You need to push really hard and to keep repeating the motion; and gradually you will find you are pushing the dent out of shape.

 

[SilverForBrains]

awesome spoons!

 

[blademaker]

Nice spoons, you could work the dents out by placing the spoon on a wood block and taking a dowel with the end rounded over and working the dent from the outside in. Dent removal is always first in last out so the highes spot is the last place you would work on.

 

[wev]

That purity mark is typical of Baltimore coin silver and, in that form, is usually attributed to the shop of George W. Webb, a prominent wholesale/retail manufacturer. Originally in partnership with his father James, he established his own business in 1837. He had various shops in the city over the years before retiring in 1886. Your spoons probably date to the late 1840s-1850s, when he was at the height of his factory production.

 

[diggummup]

That purity mark is typical of Baltimore coin silver and, in that form, is usually attributed to the shop of George W. Webb, a prominent wholesale/retail manufacturer. Originally in partnership with his father James, he established his own business in 1837. He had various shops in the city over the years before retiring in 1886. Your spoons probably date to the late 1840s-1850s, when he was at the height of his factory production.

Where did you get this information or is this just an educated guess? The book has the mark listed as unidentified mid Atlantic. Though I do agree with the 10-15 Baltimore assay mark. Also, at that time I believe Baltimore was the only place (in America) that had a "standard" wasn't it?

 

[wev]

"Maryland Silver" issued by the Baltimore Museum of Art has the basic information and illustrates the standard mark. What is this book that you are referring to? Wyler? Kovel?
Yes, Baltimore is the only American city that had an enforceable standard of purity, but those laws lapsed decades before these spoons were made; the 10-15 mark was a residual tradition.

 

[diggummup]

"Maryland Silver" issued by the Baltimore Museum of Art has the basic information and illustrates the standard mark. What is this book that you are referring to? Wyler? Kovel?
Yes, Baltimore is the only American city that had an enforceable standard of purity, but those laws lapsed decades before these spoons were made; the 10-15 mark was a residual tradition.

I was referring to John McGrew's book "Manufacturer's Marks on American Coin Silver."

 

[wev]

Nice man. His book is generally worthy, but does contain more than a few errors and quite a lot of unsubstantiated guesswork.

As the OP does not seem to be interested, I'll set this topic aside.

 

[diggummup]

Nice man. His book is generally worthy, but does contain more than a few errors and quite a lot of unsubstantiated guesswork.

As the OP does not seem to be interested, I'll set this topic aside.

Stick around though. I think your knowledge will be invaluable around here from time to time.

BTW- Welcome to the Treasurenet forum.

 

[Normsel]

What reading would you get on a Silver Spoon or any silver other than coins on an AT PRO

I hunted an old foundation from a house that was built in the 1870's and was burned down in 1988. I was told by the current land owner that his grandfather told him his grandmother lost all of her silver and nothing was recovered. I dug many pieces of what could be either melted copper which I doubt or melted silver which I doubt. I did get a reading of about 85 on my ATP but it bounced a bit down as low as 80. I found several what you might say globs of melted metal that were tarnished and even had some green tarnish but nothing like copper. I filed some and it showed up silver and I even took my torch heated it and a small silver bubble appeared after I got it good and hot. Anyone have any ideas. I am 100% sure it is not lead.

 

[jerseyben]

This thread is awesome!!!