unknown mark on late 18th century spoon

[R ingo]

Hello,
can someone help me with the mark "M" (surely a city mark probably from southern Germany) on this spoon?
Kind regards,
Ringo

[Joerg]

Hi Ringo

a matching "M" and a matching "13" are documented from the Swiss city of Olten, from Josef Meier, 1808 - 1856, around 1840. M is the manufacturer mark. The Olten city mark is 3 conifers.
Unfortunately I do not have a spoon from this maker to compare his style.

I am not sure. Maybe it helps to date your spoon closer in. The marking looks 1840 to 1860 to me. The place of the marks indicates a date before 1800. The style is again around 1850. The monograms look like around 1800. Maybe the gauge helps to trace the date. Spoons from around 1840 / 1850 are usually not heavy. Can you give us the length and the weight of the spoon? If it is a soup spoon with a length of 20-22 cm and the weight is less than 40 gram I would not date it before 1800 but around 1840 - 1850.

Hope that helps

All the best

Jörg

[R ingo]

Hello Joerg,

sorry for the late answer, but I had a problem with login.
I thank you for the informations. The spoon is a tea spoon, ca. 13 cm long and 15 Gramm in weight.
In Germany I know this style only from the time about 1800. But I know, that this type in Austria (and may be in southern Germany too) is a little younger (I thought until now it was common there up to the 20s of the 19th century, but I am not sure).
That this style was popular in the swiss about 1850 is very interesting and new for me.

-In Germany the youngest example of Hallmarks on the bowl I know ca. from the 20s of the 19th century.
-The style of the "13" in Fraktur was more common about 1800 and earlyer. In the advanced 19th century the Loth-numbers were mostly written in cursive or roman type.
-The style of monogram with its details looks indeet like before 1800.

Here I have some examples of this ("lancet-shaped hanoverian") style that I know.
But I am no expert in swiss spoons and probably you are right and this style is much younger there.

Thanks and kind regards,
Ringo

[Joerg]

Hi Ringo

Considering all the information I think the spoon is not from 1840/1850 and therefore not from Josef Meier in Olten.
I think it is from around 1800. So back to base one, another city and manufacturer has to be found.

Good luck

Jörg

[R ingo]

Hello Jörg,
I was wrong, when I wrote, that this type of spoon was unusual after the first third of the 19th century.

Yesderday I found a Belgian spoon, that confirm your proposition, that this style is still common in the middle of the 19th century. The Janus face mark was used there from 1831 to 1868.

Thanks and kind regards,
Ringo