What is the purpose of markings on brass (?) spoons

[Alex H]

Hello again,

I came across a pair of old spoons made from what looks like brass or similar copper alloy (not Dirigold) in a design that is very common with Swedish spoons of the late 1700 - early 1800. The exact alloy is unknown to me. Both spoons have strange marks on the back of their necks that distantly resemble worn out assay marks. I am puzzled and would like to know what other members of this forum know or think about the purpose of such marks. Thanks.

[Bahner]

Hello, my guess is as good as yours. This type of spoon was not uncommon in Germany either, usually dating from the late 18th to the middle of the 19th century, with some makers even later. I suspect a production around 1830-1850 and wonder if this was not made from white metal / German silver or similiar alloys, which appeared on the market around that time. I further suspect that the assay marks are just that: a former owner wanted to make sure what this was made or rather not made of. Regards, Bahner

[AG2012]

It would be interesting to determine the exact composition of the alloy.There are electronic non invasive testers now- many jewelers and amateurs have them. Spoons can be very low silver with reddish hue due to copper in the alloy.
Keep us informed if you have them tested.Thank you.
Regards

[Alex H]

Thank you both for your contributions. Strangely enough, but I do have an update. Just today I came across two more similar spoons. One was exactly the same as mine, with same two "assay" marks. Another one was slightly different - it had a deep groove on the back of the neck, with the assay mark inside the groove. It protected the mark from being worn off, and the assay mark in the groove looks "normal".

But, both spoons that I found had remains of plating, particularly at the bottom of the bowl. It appeared to be very thing and extremely easy to remove, thus my original spoons did not show any. They might have been polished in the past. The base metal includes copper and looks like brass.

All the best, Alex