posted 04-28-1999 10:20 AM            

Special Features

Because of the great disparity between the have and have nots in Czarist Russia pieces such as silver flatware available only to the few haves are always of historical interest. We have run across Russian spoons at various antique shows, mostly in a boring fiddle pattern. They are very well made and of good weight, and best of all with a good set of Hallmarks to Identify them. We have one piece that we got in an e-bay auction that is reputed to have been made by Karl Faberge which makes it very historic and desirable. It weighs 60 grams which is quite a bit for a 7 ¼” dessert spoon. The marks, which are on the bottom side of the bowl are shown below

The K with the Greek looking Phi indicates Faberge.

Dating

The CAS is the makers mark, the 84 is the quality which is a lower grade around .875 fine. The date is clearly spelled out here as 1869. The city symbol is for St. Petersburg. After about 1900 the dates were dropped. The Faberge piece has no date, but it does show an 84.

Pieces Shown:
Item length Our Cost
Tablespoon (fiddle) 8 ½” $50.00
Dessert Spoon (Faberge) 7 ¼” $150.00
Teaspoon (fiddle) 6 ¼” $25.00

Photo:

Key Pieces

It would appear that forks and knives are harder to find than spoons, unless we have been very unlucky.

Questions:

Does anyone have a good reference on Russian flatware? Does anyone have a complete setting they could show? What patterns were made?

posted 05-23-1999 02:01 PM            

I recently got a matching fork to the Faberge Pattern. This had the same marks plus an imperial Eagle and Faberge Spelled out. Had to pay $320 because of the better marks. Fork & Spoon shown together

These appear to be from the same set. Note how slender the fork is. Quite unique.

Complete marks are shown below. KFaberge spelled out completely in Cyrillic plus the Imperial Eagle. Also 84 with head and triangle behind. Second piece gives provenance to first, I would think. On bourgeois e-bay. What a country.