Possibly Scandinavian silver spoon. Clues welcome.

[Arizona]

First thanks for all the comments and post here, as well as for the page itself. Great source of information. I learned a lot so far and I would like to keep learning. So this is my first post! Here they go the images so if anyone can help me, and any other reader that has the same thing all around the globe!






So I think is Scandinavian because I found it there... but I can be totally wrong, there are 900 writting in both sides (?!) of the markers mark which is a stylized S H in a oval. The total length of the hallmark is about 1 cm. Sorry that the image is not so clear, I might be able to make a better photo with natural light so we can see it better.

I am a beginner, and lots to learn, but I hope this post gives some light on this topic and someone else can get something out of it! Hopefully one day I will be able to help myself with Scandinavian silver identification as well!

[Aguest]

Just based on the font of the "900" stamp, and also the possibility that the engraved design on the handle is a "quetzal" bird (kind of like a parrot with a long tail), these characteristics are pointing me in the direction of Guatemala ::: It would help to see the maker's mark more clearly, just to have it for future reference ::: It just reminds me of work from that region, possibly South America too (Bolivia comes to mind) ::: The shape of the end of the handle is a bit unusual :::

[Arizona]

Thanks for the answerAguest. Something I learned already about the font of the 900. Something new for me.
But I have some buts... I dont know know the name of the end of the spoon is, but I do have another one, Danish made, with a similar ending (made by Chistian Heise 1925) :



both are curled or bended in the end like this:



The image in the spoon, is definitivelly a flower.



Sorry about the pictures, definitively not a photographer but promise to improve, I need some soft light and more patience.

here is another take of the hallmark, with the SH, but now, I am thinking that might be an SA?

[Traintime]

Normally, marks are everything and style can be duplicated. However, just take a look at the cover here of the Fossberg book mentioned: http://925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php ... im#p127002

Getting a Norske style? The shown ends are generally "dognose" like, and an old European style. The 900 standard is widely used and might even be a special situation (export to another country, etc.). Safe to say, this is "in the style of European", if not in fact made there.

[Traintime]

I get the sense those 900's are Nowegian numberings in a sort of psuedo-Viking style, like all those scrolly designs that turn up on pewter objects. Whether you maker is genuinely old or a later smith working in retro design is a tough one.

[Arizona]

If it helps to see if is old or a "in the old style": it weights considerably more than the Danish fork (1927 actually), the forks is 38 gr and the spoon is 57! Also the engraving on it is very different looking, the fork is even, smoth and not very deep, while the spoon has much deeper grooves, and you can see how silver has been pushed towars the end of the groove, like it was made hammering a bland (or just wider) chisel. But all this can be useless information. Thanks again for the explanations!

[Aguest]

Yes, the end of the spoon does remind me of a Scandinavian style, but those "900" numbers really threw me off track as I have never seen them on a Scandinavian spoon, and the hallmark is a complete mystery as well :::

I was wrong, it probably is Scandinavian, but it is unlike any Scandinavian Spoon I have ever seen :::

Could it be that the circular hallmark is actually an assay master's mark, kind of like the "Christian F. Heise" circular hallmarks which are for the assay master CFH?

[Traintime]

A smith who emigrated but kept up the style for his community, with the object finding it's way back to the homelands?

[Goldstein]

Hi Arizona -

a little help "what is how called" ...



Regards
Goldstein

[Aguest]

Yes I see it looks like a stylized "SA" and it does seem similar to Danish Assay Master Marks, perhaps a purposeful homage to the Danish Assay Master Marks, it must be from Denmark?

[Traintime]

Seems as though the tip could be transitional between trefid (note the breviated notches) and dognose.

[Arizona]

Taking notes of every answer. It is very basic stuff but I didn't knew how to call parts of an spoon, or Assay Master Marks!... thanks. It was bought in Denmark, so that was my starting clue. The fact that the two 900 marks are not identical is just me? it seems to me that they were not done with the same "stamp" but a similar one, or is just is a different hit in the angle or whatever?