Assorted Sterling Silver Spoons, Including George III Mustard Spoon
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- Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
- Marrow Spoon - A spoon with a long handle and a narrow scoop shaped bowl, used to scoop and eat marrow from the hollow centre of roasted bones. Some marrow scoops are double ended with a different shaped bowl at each end.
- Hallmarks - A mark stamped on articles of precious metals in Britain, since the 14th century, certifying their purity. It derives its name from the Guild Hall of the Goldsmiths' Company, who recieved its Charter in 1327 giving it the power to assay (test the purity) and mark articles of gold and silver.
The hallmark will consist of several marks, including the:
- silver standard mark, indicating the purity of the metal. Sterling silver is .925 pure silver.
- the city mark indicating the city in which it was assayed eg London, Birmingham, York etc.
- the date mark, usually a letter of the alphabet in a particular font and case,
- a duty mark, indicating whether duty had been paid to the crown, and only in use from 1784 to 1890
The piece may include an additional mark, the maker's mark, although not forming part of the hallmark, will be located in the vicinity of the hallmarks.
Sometimes silver plated items will bear faux hallmarks, often confusing those not familiar with silver markings. - George Iii - George III (1738 - 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820.
Visually similar items
Georgian sterling silver sifting spoon & 2 others comprising of a sifting spoon (hallmarks rubbed), a Georgian teaspoon (marks rubbed) and another Birmingham 1898
Ladles: Handsome fiddle and thread design ladle made by William Eaton of London circa 1842 (300+ grams); plus 2 Victorian sterling silver sauce ladles 164 grams.
Four replica June Higgs silver spoons, tested as 925
Three small sterling silver ladles, hallmarked (from smallest to largest) London 1883 (12.5 cm), 1791 (13.5 cm) and Edinburgh 1805 (15.8 cm), 61 grams