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Mysterious Spoon, Maybe Continental

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Author	Topic: Mysterious Spoon, Maybe Continental
IJP Posts: 326 Registered: Oct 2004	posted 08-20-2005 06:16 PM As a young collector and student, I'm always interested in unfamiliar marks, especially on unusual pieces. I came across a piece some time back, and when I didn't recognize the marks, I checked Tardy, but could find nothing. To me, it looks vaguely reminiscent of some old Hungarian or central European spoons I've seen. The faces formed in the handle are very crude, but I've seen that to be the case in other examples. Its the marks that bug me. I can't find these anywhere. In Tardy, some of the 17th & 18th century Amsterdam marks look similar to the mark below on the left, but not positively. I've no idea what to make of the mark on the right (Sorry I couldn't get a better image). Does anyone have any idea what these are? Are they even European? Are they even old? Are they even silver? IP: Logged
Richard Kurtzman Moderator Posts: 768 Registered: Aug 2000	posted 08-20-2005 06:59 PM Looks German with Hanau pseudo hallmarks from the late 1800s. Type in Hanau in the search function and you will get complete info on this. IP: Logged
blakstone Posts: 493 Registered: Jul 2004	posted 08-20-2005 10:02 PM Pseudo marks and late 1800s, yes, but Dutch, not German. (The similarity to the old Amsterdam city mark is the tip-off.) Fortunately, I've seen these particular false marks alongside the maker's legitimate mark frequently enough to identify your item as by the Friesian maker Rins Jans Spaanstra, who worked in Drachten and Wommels, as well as the North Brabant city of Berlicum. His workshop was active 1843-1896, though I think he himself probably died before 1870. It is my belief that these "historical" reproductions of his (almost always 16-17th C. style spoons like yours) date from the later end of this period - the 1890s. Lacking the official Dutch marks, it may or may not be silver; I would certainly test it to be sure. [This message has been edited by blakstone (edited 08-20-2005).] IP: Logged
Richard Kurtzman Moderator Posts: 768 Registered: Aug 2000	posted 08-21-2005 11:55 AM My mistake regarding the country of origin. Here is a basket with a similar false 17th or 18th century shield with crown and crosses, Dutch mark. (The form of the shield is sort of Amsterdam, but the crosses on this piece are actually stars, which are 17th century Gouda.) In addition are the correct Dutch silver marks: lion for silver and S for the year 1902. IP: Logged
IJP Posts: 326 Registered: Oct 2004	posted 08-22-2005 02:05 PM To both blakstone and Mr. Kurtzman, dank u zeer, as they say in the Netherlands. Those European pseudomarks are just about ubiquitous, it seems! I hadn't heard much previously about the Dutch variety until now. I suppose that's a whole other world. Well, I should certainly know better by now, to consider pseudomarks a possibility when I run across stamps that I cannot match to those in my references, especially when they bear some similarity to actual old European assay and guarantee marks. Is that safe to say? In any event, blakstone, in a previous post, on another thread far, far away, under discussion were some Hanau marks of, I think, the early twentieth century. I had inquired about the absence of the official German guarantee mark (crescent & crown, required since 1888), and why firstly the piece could escape the requirement, and whether secondly that casts any doubt about the item's silver content. I don't believe I ever received a response on that... Now is a good opportunity, I think, since the topic has come up vis-�-vis Dutch pseudomarks. Click here to link to the above referenced thread (HELP PLEASE) IP: Logged

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