posted 10-12-2008 04:26 PM            

The worth comparison I have used in the title of this topic to put some questions

about the imitation of silver and using the material tin/pewter. In silver there's a guarantee (when you recognize the marks, pattern, recognize the color/shine or even you can smell. With tin/pewter I prefer(personal taste)dark grey patina of older pieces. With silver I prefer also not totally cleaned silver, but enjoy when the lines are covered with a black dirt substitution which give the ornamental decoration more expression. Tin/pewter is also decorated with marks. Looking to the gilds there were from the 17th century gilds formed by silver/gold and pewter/tin masters who have learned the craft by another master. It's possible that gilds were formed earlier but that's what can be explained by others.(I hope). Considering a spoon which I have bought yesterday and is made from pewter/tin I have to put a question.

Considering the pattern it's a old one, the pattern is called a rat tail spoon (if I'm wright and please correct me if I'm wrong).

And the end of the steel (below) there is a kind of french lily and above this a crown.

Above this is marked a smaller five pointed star in a circle. In the handle stand some initials (not to recognize) and there was more to see but is nearly totally worn out.

In the part of the handle is formed into the steel there is also a square mark not to identify.(Also nearly worn out).

This spoon is found by research in Amsterdam, has it french influence and in which period is this spoon made.
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The spoon is in good condition and I hope it's a real old spoon and I hope someone is able to give any information.

A few other spoons which I have are dated from the late 18th century made by pewter/tin and these are more grey colored than this almost silver looking spoon.

Thank you, silverhunter.

The measures are total length 7 inches,
the handle length is 1,5 inch long and above 0,5 inch wide.
The steel is about 3 inches long.
The bowl is 2,6 inches long and 1,4 inch wide.
I hope this helps with also the photo's.

posted 10-14-2008 05:02 PM            

The spoon down under is the topic one.

The difference with the 18th century spoons is that they were very dirty and smell like mud.
There are a lot of detector users who sell the found materials at internet sites. I have purchased a few little articles about silver. There are a couple of thousands of these kind of people over here and they filter the ground from pewter, copper etc,
that's also the good site of the hobby.

I've checked the rattail patterns which were produced also from the 17th century and in the 18th century in Holland. The decoration(of the rattail)was a lot wider and it's length was nearly till the end of the back of the bowl.

So there's a big difference with the shown french pattern.

It's always nice to find out the differences of all that silver and be helped with information.

posted 01-01-2009 07:21 AM            

For that age the spoon is hardly worn out.

The reaction after cleaning, the colour hardly change, or the material doesn't become darker. Like your reaction about the silver test with the fluid you mentioned is a possibility of course, only I've to find out where you can buy this product.

Or I let it check by a good jewelry shop if I can't find the product.

There is always a way to find out but I'm helped with your reaction.

Considering the photo of the punch spoon from Norway (considering the marks?) I will make a new topic for it, because the topic was started by someone else.