Austria-Hungary serving spoon

[AG2012]

Large serving size spoon (29 cm), Austria-Hungary, 1849. Town mark: letter V.
Maker AG. Letter V was assigned to Agram (Zagreb) in 1867.
What was V before 1867?
Who was AG?

Thanks for looking.

[huszas76]

Hello!
The city is Varasd. The maker is Gerstner Antal (Anton Gerstner). He worked in Esztergom, before he moved to Varasd (in the '40), and used the same maker mark in both cities. Later, when I'm home, I can tell you more details about Gerstner.
Best regards!
Krisztián

[AG2012]

Varasd in Hungarian should be Warasdin in German or Varazdin in Croatian. Had no idea there was a guild there with assigned letter V. The town is rather small and several more important places did not have guilds.
Thank you dear Krisztián

[huszas76]

So, as I promised, some details about Gerstner.
Antonius Gerstner born in Esztergom 28. V. 1818. in the Hungarian Kingdom. His father was Joannes Gerstner watchmaker. Married in 6. VII. 1841.
Joannes Gerstner died in 1835., his widow in 1841. They had 9 childrens, whom divided the heritage. When he got his part, he moved away from Esztergom, and asked a permission to reside from the council in Varasd. He asked the be citizen in Varasd in 1846, he got the rights in 1847.
The sources tell the known items from his works.
Mentioned in Varasd in 1854 in an Adressbuch from Wien, in 1862, in another Adressbuch in Nürnberg, and in a 3. one from 1870, again in Nürnberg.
He died in Varasd, 28. VIII. 1890.
Sources: Somogyi Árpád: Esztergom régi ötvösművészetéről (In. Művészettörténeti Értesítő, 1867. page 141.-150.)
Grotte András: ADatok a Magyarországi ötvösség történetéhez I. (Esztergom-Pest-Buda-Varasd) (In. Művészettörténeti Értesítő, 1998. page 235-241)
Ivan Bach: Varazdinski Zlatari Juraj Kunic (1777-1831) i njegov sin Vinko (1801-1841) (In Radovi IPU 7 1983)
Best regards
Krisztián

[AG2012]

Amazing! Thank you so much.
Happy New Year.