Spoon washed up on beach

[DeniseK]

I found this spoon washed up on the beach on Mayne Island, British Columbia this week. It’s too rusted to see marking but wondering if anyone recognizes it based on the handle pattern.

 

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[UnderMiner]

Mid 20th century is my guess. Silver plated brass spoons faded out with the advent of stainless steel around the 1950's or so. I find spoons on the shores of NYC sometimes but they're not historic like this one you found, merely the "cooking" spoons used by heroin addicts. I highly doubt a heroin addict would use an old silver plated spoon though, unless it's from the time of the hippies in the 1960's-70's. More likely from a wholesome family picnic.

 

[DeniseK]

Mid 20th century is my guess. Silver plated brass spoons faded out with the advent of stainless steel around the 1950's or so. I find spoons on the shores of NYC sometimes but they're not historic like this one you found, merely the "cooking" spoons used by heroin addicts. I highly doubt a heroin addict would use an old silver plated spoon though, unless it's from the time of the hippies in the 1960's-70's. More likely from a wholesome family picnic.

Thanks for the info! How do you tell it’s silver plated brass? I wondered if it’s from a shipwreck as there have been a lot of wrecks in the southern gulf islands here.

 

[UnderMiner]

Thanks for the info! How do you tell it’s silver plated brass? I wondered if it’s from a shipwreck as there have been a lot of wrecks in the southern gulf islands here.

I have decades of experience in finding and collecting spoons. After awhile spotting silver plated brass just becomes a 6th sense, but seriously, you can see some of the silver plating still on it and below the silver is brass. Silver plating brass spoons was the most common form of spoon manufacture for a long time, because it was affordable to the lower classes who wanted to emulate the table settings of the rich without having to pay for sterling sliver place settings. Then stainless steel was invented, and was even cheaper and more durable so became the default metal in affordable cutlery manufacturing since.

 

[unclemac]

left from an old picnic.... I find them (and forks) from time to time too.

 

[xr7ator]

The brown/orange color is tarnished brass, not rust.

 

[DeniseK]

The brown/orange color is tarnished brass, not rust.

Good to know! Any tips for removing the tarnish?

 

[unclemac]

brasso

 

[Red-Coat]

Your spoon is silverplate in “Aurora” pattern, designed in 1930. Several manufacturers used this pattern, with possible backmarks of: Oxford Silver Plate; Wm. A. Rogers; or W.R. Keystone.

 

[DeniseK]

Your spoon is silverplate in “Aurora” pattern, designed in 1930. Several manufacturers used this pattern, with possible backmarks of: Oxford Silver Plate; Wm. A. Rogers; or W.R. Keystone.

View attachment 2073471

Thank you so much! That’s great to know my spoons history. I appreciate your info!

 

[cudamark]

Old spoons were sometimes given to their kids to use as a beach toy to build sand castles.

 

[DeniseK]

brasso

Would silver polish work?

 

[unclemac]

if you have it, try it and see

 

[Digger RJ]

View attachment 2073451I found this spoon washed up on the beach on Mayne Island, British Columbia this week. It’s too rusted to see marking but wondering if anyone recognizes it based on the handle pattern.

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[river roamer]

Cool find

 

[Kray Gelder]

Old spoons were sometimes given to their kids to use as a beach toy to build sand castles.

I believe my daughters abandoned a few spoons on beaches, back in the day.

 

[boogeyman]

left from an old picnic.... I find them (and forks) from time to time too.

Billy forgot his sandcastle spoon/shovel!