3 silver spoons

[skatewalker6996]

My grandmother recently gave me three spoons which I think are silver. I tried researching the hallmarks on the back but cannot find a match anywhere. She told me my grandfather found them in the 1960's under an old barn here in Pennsylvania. Any help on their history or value would be awesome. Thanks you!

 

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[pistol-pete]

I'm guessing they're pewter, from the looks

 

[skatewalker6996]

I thought they might be pewter. The hallmarks make me wonder. They seem to be colonial with a lion mark and "king" beneath it. It is also stamped LONDON. The "X" if I'm not mistaken means the colonies paid the tax to the crown. And the one has a maker mark of " John -----send? I can only make out the last four letters of his last name.

 

[skatewalker6996]

Not a lion.... It's a bird

 

[Gunrunner61]

Im a'thanking pewter too, Nice spoons in any case...............HH

 

[steelheadwill]

Pewter. I see a dognose with rattail, likely around 1700, the others a bit later, getting on towards the fiddlehead style, maybe 1720-1750 IMO.
http://www.pewterbank.com/Spoons_..articles..13.pdf

 

[Britman]

John Townsend I think?

 

[skatewalker6996]

Thanks guys, your info definitely has some leads i'm going to follow up on! What trait makes you think its pewter? I don't know much about that metal. Is it the hallmark? Color? Patina? Etc.

 

[Red James Cash]

Silver in colonial times was very expensive,silver utensils were made very thin.

 

[skatewalker6996]

Cool thank you Red James. I found a few articles about a man named John Townsend that made furniture in New England in the 2nd half of the 18th century(desks, chests and dining sets). This might make sense that these spoons could have been made by him. But... There was another John Townsend who was a silversmith, active between 1824-1841. His hallmarks look nothing like the ones I have on these spoons nor like any of his work that I've seen.. I'm hoping they relate to the first John Townsend I mentioned because Sotheby's sold a desk made by his father for....8.25 million.....and a dresser made by John for 2 million. Wouldn't that be nice! If anybody else recognizes these hallmarks or knows what they mean that would be a great help. Thank you!

 

[steelheadwill]

the style of manufacture and the appearance of the metal say pewter.
unfortunately pewterers weren't considered as important as silversmiths and records are scarcer.
I'll try to get some info on mr townsend

 

[steelheadwill]

John Townsend and his son-in-law Thomas Compton are well documented English pewterers and recorded in the Pewter Society database, pay for full access,The Pewter Society - The Pewter Society was founded in 1918. but maybe find something in these pdfs
Makers & Marks

 

[skatewalker6996]

Thank you sir. I found very few articles regarding his name. Everything I did find had no info on spoons or other utensils, mostly all furniture.

 

[DCMatt]

THIS 6 ½” SIGNED TEAPOT HAS A HOODED SPOUT, AN UNCOMMON VARIATION. JOHN TOWNSEND WAS A LONDON PEWTERER AND A PROLIFIC EXPORTER TO THE AMERICAN COLONIES DURING THE 18TH CENTURY. THE WOODEN HANDLE IS AN EXCELLENT REPLACEMENT AND THE CONDITION OF THE PEWTER AND MARK IS VERY GOOD.
Price: $2,650.00

Not an exact match but I'm pretty sure this is your guy. Do a Google search on ' "John Townsend" pewter mark ' then look at images. You'll see plenty of bowls, plates, and other itmes with his mark.

You are safe to say that your spoons are colonial era. Nice stuff!

DCMatt

 

[steelheadwill]

Pewter spoons are some of my favorite finds.
relics of the common man.
Here's one of my all time favorite recovery stories, amazing that someone has an original mold and is making spoons with it!
finding four of these in the colonies shows that people in 1700 loved William III.
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...william-iii-pewter-spoon-pieces-3-others.html

 

[skatewalker6996]

Great info guys! I really love these spoons. I need to find a nice way to showcase them. Might build a display case or something.