Need help to is this set of spoons

[niceguy1]

HELLO ALL

I have this set of early dessert spoons that I need help to id, I’m not sure where it belongs so I will post it in this section.

Each is hallmarked I pellet M, lion & duty head. The bowls are all crudely made & each is slightly different in shape but that was possibly formed by wear & tear.


I have seen on the silvermakersmarks website similar marks found in Edinburgh 1800-1808, John Mitchison found in Newcastle 1785-1788, John Merry of London found 1804-1815 or John Munns of London 1754-1764.

So which of the above do you think these are if any?

[niceguy1]

[silvermakersmarks]

The shape of the lion passant mark leads me to think that these are provincial rather than London and the presence of the duty mark makes them later than the 2 incuse duty marks of 1784 and 1785. The lack of a town mark was not unusual and suggests a date of c1790 - c1820. My best guess is that I·M is the Newcastle silversmith John Mitchinson who used an I·M mark from 1784 until 1792. For comparison here is a full 1788 Newcastle hallmark:



Phil

[silvermakersmarks]

I just noticed that I gave Mitchison an extra "n". And I might also have said that we can rule out Edinburgh because the lion passant is English.

Phil

[dognose]

Yes, definitely the work of John Mitchison of Newcastle. He died on the 9th May 1792, aged 42 years.

Trev.

[niceguy1]

Many thanks Trev & Phil for your great help.

Relatively speaking how rare or common is a set of spoons from him? Being that he died aged 42.


I notice one spoon out of the 6 only has the makers mark & duty head without the lion (on one other it’s quite rubbed but on this one there is no trace it ever had the lion punch).