Postby JayT » Sat Jan 20, 2018 6:50 pm
A few thoughts on your spoon:
-It is French, made after 1838 of 950 standard silver, as indicated by the Minerva head. The pattern is called Filet or Thread.
-Your picture is too blurry on my monitor to see whether Minerva has a symbol under her chin. If she does, this would indicate the department where your spoon was made.
-The Aubert you show is not a Paris maker.
-The mark on the front of the handle, opposite the Minerva, is a counter mark, called a bigorne. Please use the search function for more info.
-You state that it is customary to mark French spoons in the bowl. Not necessarily. Date of manufacture determines placement of marks. After 1838, the mark should be in the bowl, but some makers were slow to catch on, and marked on the stem.
-You don’t give the length of the spoon, but it appears to be a teaspoon. The pointed bowl is a question of style rather than function.
-Given the style and placement of the mark, I believe your spoon was made close to 1838.
Good luck in your further research!