Battered Teaspoon With Single Hallmark: M with Dot

[davidross]

This somewhat battered, but complete teaspoon has a single hallmark, an intaglio M with a small dot (or period) after it. Cursive “H” monogram to handle. No leads on the maker or the place of origin, so posting to “Other Countries” and hope the administrator will eventually move this post to the appropriate board.

Any help with identification greatly appreciated.

[Qrt.S]

What makes you think it is silver? The model indicates that the spoon is not particularly old.

[Joerg]

There is no reason to to doubt this is silver. To me this looks like the work of a small silversmith company from around 1850 to 1860. I did not find a reference for this mark but similar marks I have seen, particularly on spoons from my area of collection, Switzerland.
The fact that it is so battered and no silver flakes were falling off and no base material is visible clearly points towards silver. Some technical data would help, like weight and lenght, and possible origin. Where was it found? Is there a history going with it?
I assume by looking at it to be a tea spoon with a weight of 13-15 gramms. If I assume correct I propose a date aroud 1850 and a central Europe origin. (A German territory). I have rarely seen spoons so battered....

Good luck

Jörg

[Qrt.S]

Hehehe! You need luck, all reasons for doubts. An old saying and still valid; "No silver marks, not silver". It could be German silver, plated or not plated, or ....? I'm afraid that your eyes are not enough, it takes more to define it to be silver.

Have a nice evening and good luck to you Jörg

Qrt.S

[JLDoggett]

This appears to be an American coin silver spoon, possible maker would be Marcus Merriman of New Haven, Connecticut (b.1762-d.1850). While his mark is not exactly like yours one of his marks was a simple M over a wavey line, another was an M over 3 dots. He had several other marks over what would have been a fairly long period. The style of the engraving puts the piece in the 1810-1830 range so it would be contemporary with the piece.

[davidross]

Thank you Jorg, for your kind vote of confidence regarding this poor old spoon. I don't know how it ended up here in western Canada, but for the while it has been given a reprieve from obscurity. Its length is 6 inches (just under 15 cm) and it weighs 11 grams. The handle has been beaten as thin as a sheet of paper, approx 0.5 mm. As you mention, there are no signs of base metal despite the heavy wear, and the crimps and pin-point dents are consistent with utilitarian silver flatware of the first half of the 19th century.

Many thanks to JL Doggett for sharing expertise and offering a possible ID. I will keep an open mind while looking for examples of Marcus Merriman's work.

[JBA]

I cannot find the mark, but bow to JLDoggett's superior knowledge.

This sort of "long" fiddle pattern is usually American or Canadian in my experience. They are copied from Irish fiddle pattern of the early 19th century, but more pronounced. The single "sideways" initial is also a tick in the "probably American" box.

This sort of feathered punch is very typical of 19th century American makers marks.

This fits in to such a clear bracket there really is no reason to doubt it is silver. It's too early to be electroplate, anyway.

[Joerg]

So, now we are in the New World! For me the analyses from JBA and JLDogett make sense. American Coin Silver then.
I have a few American coin silver spoons, also from the period mentioned, but non of them is so light or so thin. I am also not experienced in this topic. I am aware that from the 1820ies to the 1860ies in Europe a trend appears towards very thin and light spoons. I often wonder if they were at all intended for any practical use, exept maybe stirring VERY carefully in a coffee. They often bear only a manufacturer mark, few a city or purity mark.
So the same trend was also around in the USA of this period? Is there more information about this trend? I know that the political system and the economy went significantly different ways in the US and in Europe at that time. I would have expected also the style and the quality (weight to lenght ratio) of spoons to differ. Very surprising for me to learn the same trends are there.

Would be interesting to learn more.

Thank you

Jörg

[JLDoggett]

Joerg, the thinness or thickness like the length often depended on the price clients were willing or able to pay. I the post revolutionary period the economics of the fledgling USA was was actually worse than it is today, however as they say people still have to eat and often a spoon was what one used. I have seen examples from a single hand where the weights vary by a + or - of 50-% often the weight was missing from the throat of the handle or the heel of the bowl. Most were made "full weight" but occasionally one comes across a spoon that is so light it borders on useless. I have one that was so thin it bent when I tried to spoon honey with it, the honey was too thick/heavy and it deformed in the middle of the throat area. A common but sad theory has been promolgated that since they were often christening presents and infant mortality was so high some people bought thin ones more as a memorial tokens than for actual use.

[davidross]

As JLD has noted, thin spoons like this are practically useless. This one would bend in jam. The spoon has a pronounced wear pattern, so clearly it was used. There are many series of tiny repetitive dents to both the bowl and the terminal, yet the stem is free of these dents and the tip of the bowl is not worn down at all. My guess is that this spoon may have served as a pacifier for a teething infant with a name beginning with H. Or, as has been hypothesized above, perhaps a series of infants named H, given the high infant mortality rate and the not uncommon practice of recycling a favourite name until one progeny lived well into childhood.

Thanks again for an enlightening discussion of a rather pathetic, modest piece of silver.

[SilverSurfer]

Coming by here a little late, so just a quick comment. This spoon in question is much like one of my own favorite spoons, a typical ca.1830 fiddle pattern, in my case 15 cm long and 13 gm in weight, yes, quite thin stock, and quite typical of much American coin silver flatware of the time, made for a tight budget. There is no maker's mark on my piece, only a script monogram on the finial (my initials, which is why I acquired it). And it has a few baby tooth dents in it. Totally useless for scooping honey or the like, but still a favorite spoon of mine. If so thin and non-descript, why? Because I use it every day to stir my coffee. Remember, the original use of tea spoons was (get set!) to stir tea! Not much strength required. In fact, the thinner the spoon, the less heat it will extract from the tea (or coffee in my case, which is why I use this spoon daily). The OP might consider putting his spoon to like use, not much concern in substantially degrading the condition!

[JLDoggett]

SilverSurfer, funny you should say that. It is what I do with my uselessly thin spoon, it stirs my tea. It just can't be used to add the honey.

[davidross]

SilverSurfer,

Thanks for a practical recommendation. Admittedly, the most battle-worn spoon in the drawer is the one most regularly dipped into the morning cuppa.

Cheers
David

[neurorocker]

Yours is a variant.