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HELLO ALL

I have this set of early dessert spoons that I need help to id, I’m not sure where it belongs so I will post it in this section.

Each is hallmarked I pellet M, lion & duty head. The bowls are all crudely made & each is slightly different in shape but that was possibly formed by wear & tear.


I have seen on the silvermakersmarks website similar marks found in Edinburgh 1800-1808, John Mitchison found in Newcastle 1785-1788, John Merry of London found 1804-1815 or John Munns of London 1754-1764.

So which of the above do you think these are if any?

The shape of the lion passant mark leads me to think that these are provincial rather than London and the presence of the duty mark makes them later than the 2 incuse duty marks of 1784 and 1785. The lack of a town mark was not unusual and suggests a date of c1790 - c1820. My best guess is that I·M is the Newcastle silversmith John Mitchinson who used an I·M mark from 1784 until 1792. For comparison here is a full 1788 Newcastle hallmark:



Phil

I just noticed that I gave Mitchison an extra "n". And I might also have said that we can rule out Edinburgh because the lion passant is English.

Phil

Yes, definitely the work of John Mitchison of Newcastle. He died on the 9th May 1792, aged 42 years.

Trev.

Many thanks Trev & Phil for your great help.

Relatively speaking how rare or common is a set of spoons from him? Being that he died aged 42.


I notice one spoon out of the 6 only has the makers mark & duty head without the lion (on one other it’s quite rubbed but on this one there is no trace it ever had the lion punch).