Old XVII or XVIII c. spoons. What was the use?

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jackk
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Old XVII or XVIII c. spoons. What was the use?

Post by jackk »

Hi, I have 2 old Dutch spoons (approximately 5.5 inch long) with a weird shape. What was the purpose for these spoons? What is the exact age of these?
Thanks
Jack

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blakstone
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Post by blakstone »

The marks on the first spoon are as follows:

Hachet = Dutch duty exemption mark used on old items 1853-1927
10 = Dutch second standard fineness of 10 penningen (.833)
a = Dutch date letter used Oct 1807-Mar 1809
Three St. Andrew’s Crosses = city mark of Amsterdam
Tree = maker’s mark of Carel Bogaert II, working 1805-1811

The second spoon has the same hatchet and maker’s mark, but with the the pre-1807 Amsterdam small silver mark: three St. Andrew’s crosses crowned with the date letter underneath. I can’t make out the date letter, but it might be “X” for 1806, though it could also be “W” (1805) or “Y” (1807). The crowned “O” was a duty free mark used only in 1807 on items with the old marks.

Thus, this pair seems to date right before and after the introduction of new marks in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Holland in 1807.

This sort of pointed spoon is elsewhere usually called a citrus spoon, used for eating oranges and grapefruit. But I make no similar claim for the Netherlands, whose table silver of the first half of the 19th century can take some quite eccentric forms indeed.
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jackk
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Location: New York

Post by jackk »

Thank you Blackstone, in my estimate I was off by about 100 years. :) Just by handling these spoons I estimated them to be early XVIII century. Another proof not to make wild guesses. :)
Thanks again!
Jack
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Janjaap Luijt
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Post by Janjaap Luijt »

Hi Jackk and Blackstone,

these are teaspoons. They are made of very thin material and couldn't stand a citrusfruit.

Nice spoons!
Maja
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jackk
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Location: New York

Post by jackk »

Thank you! Indeed, they are too thin to be used as citrus spoons. As Blackstone noted these are interesting shape for a tea spoon.
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R ingo
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Re: Old XVII or XVIII c. spoons. What was the use?

Post by R ingo »

Hello,
I have some very similar spoons and I think, like Janjaap Luijt, that this are tea spoons (probably used to pour milk or cream in the tea?).
Hitherto I thought about citrus spoons. But indeet the left side of the bowl is a little worn-out at the top. This is normal on tea spoons but not to expect on citrus spoons. Probably I am wrong and If someone knows more, I would be glad about an answer.

I have posted my spoons not in the Dutch silver Forum, because the maker is probably from Germany. But the spoons have probably Dutch import and tax marks. But I am not sure and would be glad if some of the Dutch forum members can help ( http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 24&t=22778" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ).
I would be interested to know, whether this type of spoon is more common in the Netherlands?

Kind regards,
Ringo
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