dessert spoon or teaspoon?

[polo_fer_lauren]

Hello everybody.

In this time I come with four dessert spoons.......Well I suppose, because they are 5 and 11/16 inches long approx. I think they are to large to be consider as teaspoon. Don't you?. Please, tell me your opinion.



Is this Maker mark from GEORGE ADAMS?


D and heart symbols are tally marks?.

Thank you.

Fer.
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[claretjugcollector]

george w. adams
( chawner & co ) - Chawners were the most important mid 19 th c firm of spoon makers
kind regards , tom from austriaaaaa
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[Granmaa]

Hi Fer,

These are teaspoons. I understand your mistake: mid 19th century fiddle pattern teaspoons were very large. The longest I've had is 14.7cm. The smallest fiddle pattern dessert spoon I've had is 16.7 cm. You'll know when you have a fiddle pattern dessert spoon, they couldn't possibly have been used for tea.
The weight should also help you: fiddle pattern teaspoons will be about 15-25 grams, whereas dessertspoons will be about 25-45 grams.

Hope this helps.

Miles
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[polo_fer_lauren]

Thank you for your help!!!!!!!!

One more thing. Could you confirm if the mark close to "GA" are tally marks? I don't know what is the function of tally mark. Please tell me something about tally marks.

Thank you.

Fer.............the Andalusian!!
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[Granmaa]

I believe they're called journeyman's marks. Jouneymen were the craftsmen who worked for the "maker" (in this case George Adams). They put marks on their work so they could identify it and be paid for it at the end of a shift. George Adams must have had many people working for him because I've seen dozens of different journeyman's marks. It would be interesting to see how many there are.

Miles
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[Waylander]

To expand on Miles' answer, the journeymen were often employed as "piecemakers" - i.e. they were paid per piece they completed. Therefore, it was important that the actual maker also placed a tally mark on the piece to ascertain how much they were entitled to.

Waylander
Moderator
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[admin]

....and for another version, see tally mark at ->
http://www.925-1000.com/silverglossary.html
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