Gold wash sterling spoon by John Foster II???

[ljpancetta]

Purchased this beautiful spoon at an estate sale this morning. Did some research on this website and I think it may be John Foster's but I may also be off by a hundred years. The marks are as follows: IF, a lion's head (I think), a side profile of a lion, an S with a line through it, and a side profile of the queen. Any info would be wonderful, especially help with dating it.






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[buckler]

Marks are
Makers Mark of John Wilmin Figg
Duty Paid Mark of Queen Victoria
Date letter of London for 1873/84
Lion Passant of London form for period
Leoparts Head of London Assay Office


Mr Figg registered his first mark as a plateworker in 1834 in Clerkenwell. This was an area of London well known for artisans, including silversmiths, who were not freeman of one of the old guilds, as it is outside the City area . By the time this rather attractive spoon was assayed his firm had moved to 6, Denmark Street, St Giles.
He died in 1886 and the firm was taken over by Walter Keith of Keith & Co, who continued to run it at Denmark Street as Figg and Co untill c 1892.

Information from Fallon, Marks of the London Goldsmiths and Silversmiths 1837 -1914.
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