Seal Top Spoon

[blakstone]

I've been asked to catalogue a modest but nicely representative silver collection at a local institution. One of their pieces is an attractive Carolean seal top spoon dated 1664 and roughly contemporaneous to that date. The marks on it - one mark struck thrice - are illustrated in Pickford's revision of Jackson, p. 529, where they are described as unidentified provincial, ca. 1640. (q.v.) This spoon has the mark struck a fourth time in the bowl instead of the "whorl" in Pickford's Jackson (the latter of which to my eye looks like an obliterated mark more than anything else). Much research has been done in the 25 years since Pickford's Jackson came out, and I was wondering if anyone knows of any subsequent identification of or information on these marks. The spoon has a Salisbury "Group B"-type finial, and I suspect it's from somewhere in the western counties. But that's just an (I hope) educated guess. I don't have access to the English journals (like "The Finial" or the "Silver Society Journal") where I suspect any new information might be found; if anyone does, or has any other thoughts or information, I would appreciate your input.