Help with RJK Maker's Mark on Alice's White Rabbit Salt Spoon

[MyThoughtsExactly]

Exhaustive research has only led me to 2 other RJK items, with "RJK" looking hand-etched as this one does, both salt spoons. One like this, but with enamel and a salt spoon with a Salem's Witch theme. I appreciate any help!

[Traintime]

Numbers of these seem to be increasing, so lets borrow some images for the record while still available:











BTW...I see nothing which actually links the witch spoons to Salem as either a general commemorative nor local souvenir item. I think it may just have been key words to capture attention by sellers.

[dragonflywink]

These rather poorly cast 'RJK' salt spoons (there's also an 'Alice in Wonderland' thimble of even lesser quality) have been showing up recently, and despite some sales descriptions as 'rare' and 'antique', they're neither. The majority of these are found from the same seller on two venues (with different IDs), their stock consisting mainly of supposedly "old" cast sterling items including other salt spoons and jewelry, some said to be handmade from "old" spoons, buttons, etc. While Daniel Low offered several flatware pieces in both their Salem Witch souvenir patterns, along with numerous novelty items, have never seen a genuine salt spoon, or evidence that they ever offered one, the White Rabbit, which also appears on the thimble, is not a design I've seen on any type of spoon other than these...

There has been massive production of cast salt spoons for several decades, I first saw them at flea markets in the '70s, they were advertised in trade publications as well, and later from online vendors - they are often cast from originals, but there are also many 'fantasy' designs. While some sellers likely do believe their pieces to be actual antiques, suspect the majority of sellers are fully aware they're not, including one dealer who for many years claimed the thousands of salt spoons they sold were 'recent estate sale finds'...

~Cheryl