silver baby spoon

Conito@55

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Jun 1, 2024
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Carson City Nv
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The Legend
Last year, I found this silver spoon. I don't know anything about it. But it's cool.
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Very neat find, but not a baby spoon. It’s a potlatch (ceremonial feast) spoon from the Sitka tribe in Alaska. Most Sitka Tribe citizens of are Tlingit, Haida or Tsimshian heritage and centred around the town of Sitka. The “Sitk o” inscription on the back was the original spelling for “Sitka” and could be for the town or the tribe itself.

These spoons were normally made from coin silver and from the late 19th to early 20th Century were made principally for the souvenir market. I would think the 1844 date on yours is authentic and it probably predates the souvenir-ware, much of which was generated by Rudolph Walton.

There’s a short discussion on these spoons at the link below:

https://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28160

Here's a bunch of souvenir examples in traditional designs, which often include a totem pole on the handle:

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