Spoon is German but engraving may not be

[theappleranch]

This is a German spoon, Hesse, early 1800s, previously discussed on this forum under the topic named "Found in the family silver: 12 loth spoon, poss. Hanau City before 1888".

My question regards the engraving on the back. It looks like the initials M R, but neither really looks like German handwriting of the time. I've attached a photo, below, and I've also used a red line to indicate how the second initial is shaped. I have not been able to get a really clear picture so this is my solution.

I would like to know if this engraving looks correct for c1820, Hanau, Hesse, Germany, or of it suggests something else.

Thank you.

[AG2012]

but neither really looks like German handwriting of the time

You are referring to one of “gebrochenen Schriften" - Gotik, Schwabacher and Fraktur.
Typesetting in Fraktur was very common in all German-speaking countries but more than often it was not used to engrave monograms on silver.