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DESCRIPTION

William III silver seal top trefid spoon with an egg shaped bowl, correctly marked with just the maker's punch towards the bottom of the stem. Generally quite chunky construction with solder joints to the suspension ring and seal. The two outside notches of the trefid terminal are still clearly visible and it curves gently upwards as you would expect. Signs of use as a spoon and seal with wear in just the right places and it feels comfortable to use as either. Although I have called this a mustard spoon I do not believe that it's use was exclusive, more likely a generally useful spoon to have about your person. Seals had previously been worn suspended from a neck chain and from the 17th century it was fashionable and useful for men to have them suspended from a watch chain. I suspect that this spoon was designed to be worn in this way, the spoon small enough to tuck into a pocket and the whole preventing the loss of your seal. It was not unusual for spoon terminals to incorporate a seal and the seal top spoon had only just passed from fashion. I suspect that the suspension ring and seal were added to the terminal of a trefid but as the joints are soldered I cannot be certain when. The solder joints appear early and the spoon has not been erased and so it is very likely that the terminal was altered at the time of manufacture or very soon afterwards. The flat top of the seal is fractionally lower than you might expect and slightly dished and so I expect that is has been erased. It is now intaglio engraved 'Hart' in the style of around 1830. It is not unreasonable for the original seal engraving to have become redundant through marriage or death after one hundred and thirty years and replaced by that of a new owner.

SILVERSMITH

William Scarlett. Only the top left corner of the shield shaped punch is clear. You can see the top downwards serif of the 'S' and most of the smaller 'C' below the mullet. William Scarlett is my only contender for this mark and several trefid with rat tail spoons by him are noted from around 1697 when the new system of maker's marks was introduced, first two letters of the surname, to coincide with the introduction of Britannia standard silver.

DATE or HALLMARK

circa 1697 and certainly before the end of Britannia standard in 1720 and his death in 1729.

ASSAY OFFICE

London

WEIGHT in GRAMS

17

SIZE in INCHES

length: 4 1/4

SILVER STANDARD

.9584 Britannia standard silver

OVERALL CONDITION

see above, a little thinning to the bowl tip but still good, small dig to the front of the terminal that is not the remnant of an erasure, terminal not perfectly straight and showing exactly the movement you would expect if the seal had been used.

Note

Some of the above is my opinion only. I have as yet found no images or descriptions of identical spoons. If you have seen one or have one in your collection I would greatly appreciate an email from you. Perhaps a spoon interesting enough for discussion in The Finial.
Back Price £95 soldItem Number: M4030 several