Just a spoon but I think its my oldest

[pjroo33]

Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

I dug this spoon at an 18th Century homestead and I'm having trouble with the Makers Mark. Not sure of the age, but it is very thin and appears to be quite old. I know it's just a spoon but it's still a nice relic in my eyes. Not sure if the scripted monogram on the handle reads JEH or FEH either. Might be interesting to find out the original owner of the property and see if the initials match. Thanks for any help.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[cntrydncr1]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

Beautiful! Did you guys do a group hunt? I've been hunting this private yard for the last few weeks and not much else. Keeping me busy. I want to hunt with you guys again! Congrats!

 

[CanUDigIt]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

Congrats! Looks like a nice piece of silver! Nice find!

 

[pjroo33]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

Beautiful! Did you guys do a group hunt? I've been hunting this private yard for the last few weeks and not much else. Keeping me busy. I want to hunt with you guys again! Congrats!

It wasn't a group hunt. Just a quick morning outing. Have you ben finding and nice relics lately?

 

[DaChief]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

There was a Silversmith of the era that your spoon was made named Sam L.H. Smith. Your spoon is what is referred to as a "Coin Silver" Spoon. Many local siversmiths fashioned such spoons. Silversmiths of the early 1700's to the mid to late 1800's were usually well respected in their communities for their abilities. Until the early 1700's, such silver was reserved mainly for the very wealthy but local silversmiths changed that. While most people still could not afford such items, the local silversmith did make the possibility moreso for common people.

I am not sure if Sam L.H. Smith because Smith was a very common name and I am sure that there were many such makers with that last name but I would date your spoon by it's markings and design at 1850 or before.

Nice going.

 

[pjroo33]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

There was a Silversmith of the era that your spoon was made named Sam L.H. Smith. Your spoon is what is referred to as a "Coin Silver" Spoon. Many local siversmiths fashioned such spoons. Silversmiths of the early 1700's to the mid to late 1800's were usually well respected in their communities for their abilities. Until the early 1700's, such silver was reserved mainly for the very wealthy but local silversmiths changed that. While most people still could not afford such items, the local silversmith did make the possibility moreso for common people.

I am not sure if Sam L.H. Smith because Smith was a very common name and I am sure that there were many such makers with that last name but I would date your spoon by it's markings and design at 1850 or before.

Nice going.

That is some great info... What designates it a "Coin Silver" spoon?

 

[pjroo33]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

I am not sure of the maker mark, but the Federal eagle in the cartouche sure looks early to me. In fact, it looks very American, and very early.

I think it is a very cool find. It is in nice shape as well. Many of the old silverware items I see online are very mangled because of being very thin and elongated.

Good luck! I hope the mark turns out to be a good, early one!

I was surprised at the condition when it came out of the ground. I dug a pewter spoon handle about 10 feet away and snapped it while trying to get it our of the ground. It was just the handle but it's not in great condition although I can read the makers mark.

 

[Colonial Copper Zeus]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

This post was missed by me earlier. Since I found a similar spoon I would like to give you the attention that this post demands. Congratulations on finding a piece of Americas past. A great story and a trully awesome find.
Chris

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

That's in great shape, I'd say 1840's-ish. But there are way better people on this site that can identify it, probably can tell you what the last meal was. Eerie how these people can identify stuff.

 

[ClonedSIM]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

There was a Silversmith of the era that your spoon was made named Sam L.H. Smith. Your spoon is what is referred to as a "Coin Silver" Spoon. Many local siversmiths fashioned such spoons. Silversmiths of the early 1700's to the mid to late 1800's were usually well respected in their communities for their abilities. Until the early 1700's, such silver was reserved mainly for the very wealthy but local silversmiths changed that. While most people still could not afford such items, the local silversmith did make the possibility moreso for common people.

I am not sure if Sam L.H. Smith because Smith was a very common name and I am sure that there were many such makers with that last name but I would date your spoon by it's markings and design at 1850 or before.

Nice going.

That is some great info... What designates it a "Coin Silver" spoon?

If I'm not incorrect, "coin silver" refers to the purity of the metal, in this case I believe it's 80% silver.

 

[dg39]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

That is a common design among all the silversmiths.. Mostly atributed to pre civil war era..Coin Silver. I have about 5 or six of them and normally sell them for around 35+ dollars. Nice find.
DG

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

Nice relic. I found 7 pewter spoons with horses heads on them burried inside a barn on an old estate and they are one of my favourite metal detecting finds.

 

[dtwilson3]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

Not sure if the scripted monogram on the handle reads JEH or FEH either.

Actually, IMHO, the monogram is probably IEH.

dtw

 

[ClonedSIM]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

Not sure if the scripted monogram on the handle reads JEH or FEH either.

Actually, IMHO, the monogram is probably IEH.

dtw

Really? I thought I could read FEH as well.

 

[X-Terra70_TreasureHunter]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

look up the HALLMARKS

 

[pjroo33]

Re: Just a spoon but I think it's my oldest

look up the HALLMARKS

Not sure where to look??

 

[Red-Coat]

Just tidying up some blasts from the past (including some very ancient ones), largely for the benefit of anyone searching the site for information.

Nice spoon, but not from Sam L.H. Smith. That’s the mark for Christian Smith of Philadelphia, PA, active between 1820-1833.

It will be ‘coin silver’ but that’s not “80% silver” as suggested above. It relates to a nominal standard of 90% silver (.900 fine) but with no particular assay to support that fineness. Originally, American silversmiths produced using melted down Spanish/Mexican and other foreign silver coins with the presumption that the mix would be about 90% silver and it was also later purpose-produced to that approximate standard.