Old BIESNER Spoon with Oak Leaf Decorated Rat-tail INFO

[DHay]

I am new to the world of silver, and was wanting to find some information on this spoon's maker. The spoon has a rat-tail, that has been decorated with an oak leaf motif. The spoon has etched decorations with "1824" on the spoon. The spoon appears to be stamped "BIESNER." The spoon measures 8-3/4" long. Thanks for any info.

[R ingo]

Hello DHay,

surely the engraved marksmen-target on the handle shows, that the spoon was a prize on a marksmen's festival. Such engraved marksmen-targets and engraved young rat tails after 1800 I know from Northern Germany. Old-fashioned looking spoons were often used as such prize ( like this from 1804 http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... che#p44739 ).

Unfortunately I know no gold smith named Biesner. But in Greifswald, Northern Germany, was a goldsmith Johann Heinrich Julius BIESENER (born about 1778, Master 1803). This fits quite good. May be he is it.

Kind regards, Ringo

[Theoderich]

this spoon have no hallmark

I do not exactly the hallmark of Greifswald from 1824
there was an exchange vom this hallmark

to the griffyn mark


But I can say: that this kind of rat tail engraving with leaf frame is typical for Greifswald spoons in this time.
So I think Ringo is right.