Sterling Australian KOALA SPOON-Need Help Identifying

[SuzyWoozy]

Hi,

I have a sterling silver Koala Spoon that bears an exact resemblance to a spoon in a silver collection in a museum in Melbourne, Australia. The museum spoon is by the Australian manufacturer "W. J. Sanders." This is the link to the spoon in the museum collection:
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=11610&collection=Cavill+Silverware

My Spoon doesn't have the Sanders hallmark, however, although it looks exactly like the Museum spoon (the museum spoon has the hallmark). According to the museum spoon description, the markers mark is supposed to be: 'W.J.S. 925 STG.'

My spoon has 2 sterling marks: "STG SILVER" and "STG Sil" --one on the stem, and one on the back of the koala. But no W.J.S. and no "925."

because it is identical to the W.J. Sanders one, I don't know what to make of it. Could it be WJ Sanders without the maker's mark??? Could it be an older model that W.J. Sanders copied?

Any information (maker, date, etc.) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[dognose]

Hi,

Much Australian and New Zealand silverware is unmarked in respect of the maker, but is just struck with marks like your example, "STG SILVER" and "STG Sil" etc. Although similar, I would not say that your example was exactly the same as Saunders one, Yours appears to have a cast finial, whereas the Saunders example appears from the image to be die-stamped. I'm afraid you will probably never learn who the maker of your was for certain, but it is still a nice piece of Australian silver history.

Trev.