Is this a Russian import to retail in England?

[panylyk]

Can anyone identify the origins of these spoons? They are in a box marked Meuon, 95 New Bond St and are marked LC, then further around there is the rampant lion, C (1918?) F (foreign?) and what I think is the London mark.
The spoons however look Russian and possibly hand made/chased. Five are identical: one has a different handle but all have exactly the same hallmarks etc.
Any help gratefully received, thanks. Ann




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[buckler]

As I understand it the F for "foreign" was only used from 1867 to early 1904 so I believe your dateletter C is for 1898/1899 not 1918. The only other C in that period is 1878/79 but the piece would then still carry Victoria's head as a duty mark, and the style seems more 1900 ish.

Incidentally the Lion is a Lion Passant (stands on all four legs) not a Lion Rampart which only stands on two. The Lion Rampant is usually associated with Scotland - being Scottish the assay office only gave him two shoes! Sorry Scots - I don't mean it.

Certainly the spoons appear to have a Russian look to them, and an 1898 date is more supportive of that. It may be worth having a very careful look around the spoons to see if there are any other marks -relating to the original maker. LC I think was probably the English sponsor's mark i.e. the importer.
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[panylyk]

Thanks for that - I'll have a really good look. I'm a bit of a novice at this!
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[Juke]

Hi!

If there are not any russian silver hallmarks then it can be clearly said that they are not russian. Russians had a very strick hallmarking system so all silver items made in Russia had to marked.

If there are not any other marks (possibly a silver content mark) then I believe that your spoons have most likely been made in Germany as the countries hallmarking practise was not so strict in those times and large amounts of silver items were imported to UK from there.

Regards,
Juhana
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[panylyk]

I've had a really good look at all the spoon and cannot find any other markings - the all-over patterning makes it hard, but I don't think I missed anything. Were the Germans using the British sterling standard at this time, or was it the lower grading? And could they make to the Britih standard?
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[buckler]

The marking of the piece by the London Assay Office indicates that it was of at least sterling standard. The current absence of other , perhaps Russian assay marks, does not preclude the piece being originally marked by the actual maker. The new sponsor LC may well have removed them when preparing it for Goldsmiths Hall.
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[georgiansilver]

Suggest that the spoons are inports from the Middle or far East... The style and pattern look Indian to me but certainly Eastern. Best wishes, Mike.
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[panylyk]

Thanks for all the replies - glad to see the spoons haven't drawn an overwhelming conclusion as to their origins. I quite like a mystery. Ann
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[admin]

If you'd post a large image of a single spoon front & back, it would be far easier to get a fix on the origin.

Regards, Tom
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[MCB]

Hello Ann,

John Culme's London Directory identifies a Lizzie Chapple of 95 Bond Street London, an importer, registering a mark in 1898 such as the one on the spoon. He mentions the lady in question may have been known as Madame Menon trading as a Burmese Art Depot. This fits nicely with the name etc. on the box and also Georgiansilver's suggestion that the spoons may have been made in the Far East.

Regards,
Mike
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[panylyk]

Yes, that does sound very plausible. I'm waiting for decent light and I will post a shot of the front and back of the spoons. Thanks for that info. Ann
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