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It is an educated guess based on my experience and work here: American Silversmiths & Related Craftsmen.

It may be an unrecorded mark for STILES (Samuel) & BALDWIN (Jedediah), working c 1790 in Northampton MA. I have seen spoons by the partnership similar to yours, which is quite handsome.

Benjamin Drowne has been proposed, but I have seen no real evidence one way or the other.

I have no maker to offer, but the George Russell listed in Brix and Hollan is debatable. He was a watchmaker of some note, but did not start working till c 1830, but Winterthur has a distinctive c 1800 brightcut spoon with this mark.

The spoon dates c 1800-1805.

Yes and yes.

Inaccurate guesswork.

The spoon predates his starting date by 40 years; not a consideration.

Ensko should not be relied upon for more than a 'maybe' attribution. Hollan points out that there are no verified marks that can be confirmed for Joseph Cook of Philadelphia. While coffin end flatware is not unknown from Philadelphia smiths, but it is highly unlikely. In this case, given that Cook a...

To add to the last, he and his wife (Mary Garrison, married NYC 10 April 1779) with a child and two servants went to Shelburne as part of the Port Roseway Associates in 1783 and were granted a town lot. The following year, he was granted 50 acres in Lunemburg County. There is nothing recorded indica...

John Kingston
Freeman NYC 28 March 1775; working in Shelborne Canada during Revolution; returned to NYC in 1794 and died there in 1796.

What is the monogram on the spoon?

Parry (Rowland) & Musgrave (James), Philadelphia 1792-1795.

Joseph Cook of Philadelphia? Can you site a reference for the mark? I don't know of any that have been confirmed.

I found this mark in the Wintethur collection database attributed to Davis.

The inability to edit a post is extremely aggravating.

The spoon is 9.5 inches long and of substantial weight. The champhering on the handle is interesting and fairly uncommon.

Another interesting little mystery. This mark was once given to John Coburn, but has since been withdrawn, as it is found on pieces too late for his career. I doubt it is Joseph Clark or Coolidge; Ensko lists John Cook of Philadelphia, but no mark is shown for him in Hollan. Any thoughts? http://fre...

As you say, the ampersand is distinctive, so I went through all my marks looking for a similar form. I found nine, all from Connecticut and most from New Haven. Looking then at likely makers of appropriate period and surname, I have: Elisha Elderkin (New Haven) Alfred Elderkin (Windham) David Ellswo...

Late Hanoverian (c 1770) tablespoon, 9.25" with a typical long elliptical bowl and a slashed long spade drop. Marked twice:



Any thoughts?

Your mark image is very small and difficult to read. That said, it may be John Wheelwright Davis, working in Newburyport c 1820 and later (c 1825) a partner with Abel Moulton there.