Need Info on Silver Windmill Spoon

[Brianne]

I bought this spoon from an antique store in Gettysburg, Pensylvania. I really don't know much about silver or spoons at all, but since it's a gift for someone I wanted to at least know how old it might be. It seems to be made of silver, or at least silver-plated (there is some tarnish in places). It's about 4 inches long, the windmill moves, and the design in the bowl of the spon appears to have been pushed out from the back of it. On parts of the windmill (probably too small for you to see) there are two very small marks that look like elongates crosses, or maybe sword or daggers. In the bowl of the spoon, blended into the rock where hte man on the right is standing, there are two marks side by side (very hard to see, even with the spoon in hand.) The one on the left appears to be a lion ( the decorative one that you always see on flags and coats of arms), with possibly the number 2 printed right below him. The mark on the right is harder to see. It looks like it reads either "..YK" "..YZ" or "..YE". Does anyone know at least a time frame in which this spoon might have been made, or where it originally comes from? I hope the pictures are detailed enough. I couldn't get the pictures to actually load onto the site large enough, but if you clock the links below a much larger image should appear.

Thanks,
Brianne

http://show.imagehosting.us/show/134303 ... 343035.JPG

http://show.imagehosting.us/show/134302 ... 343027.JPG

[georgiansilver]

Difficult to mak out the marks on the picture but can I suggest you visit the Dutch hallmarks section on this site and attempt to find them there. All the spoons I have seen with windmills on have either been from Holland or England. Not English so likely Holland. Best wishes, Mike.

[admin]

Dutch Hallmarks

[Brianne]

I looked at the silver hallmarks site (thank you, by the way) and from what I can tell about the marks on the windmills and the bowl of the spoon, it looks like it falls between the years 1814 and 1905 (and it is Dutch like you suggested.) Can you recommend any other sites where I might find out more? I've tried general searches on the internet before, but evidently I don't know where or how to look.

[admin]

Compare the date letter with the chart on our site and you'll find the exact year it was made.
These spoons are generally very late 19th and 20th century, made for tourists or for export.
If you'd like to know the maker, and if it has a maker's mark, you will probably need to post a large clear image of the marks.
Regards, Tom

[Doos]

Hi Brianne,

Usually (when the lion is stamped) you should find a dateletter, aswell as the minerva/mercure head stamped. The latter will have a letter imprinted in it to indicate the town where it was essayed. Making it a bit easier to find out the maker (the "YK" part that you refered to). Look very carefully at the pictures in the Dutch section and try to find them on your spoon.

The sword on the mill probably means that the ornament was offered for essaying seperate from the spoon and the whole was assambled later after returning from the essay office.

There are no other resources on the net to help you out, the best help you can get online is here.

[admin]

Your date letter is located on the left hand scroll, just opposite the pricetag string.

[Brianne]

I found the mark, and evidently the spoon was made in 1910. Thank you all for your help!