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Hi - asking the experts to help with this set of six large bright cut teaspoons. Am assuming they're Scottish provincial - pointed ends right feel. Merely stamped twice, two with W.F and four with AM (I think) or could be WV. Any help with maker, town, date would be appreciated. Thanks Frank

Hi Frank,

My gut feeling is that your spoons are not Scottish, I feel they are more likely to be Scandinavian in origin.

But lets see what others think.

A close up of the engraving may help.

Regards Trev.

Not sure if these are clear enough, cut from the original, but can take fresh pics if need be. Camera batteries charging. The initials read EKB in cursive script. Thanks Frank

I am quite sure that these spoons are danish. But there are some possible makers. Have patience and wait for Hose.dk´s answer!

They are danish all right. Patern is "Empire" I have similar dated 1806. I assume that 1806 is very close to the first of this patern. They are still produced at the beginning of 1900. Dont know how long but I would not be surpriced if they still are produced.
Patern was introduced with this deep cut in engraving to distance them from sheffild plate.

W.F is Valdemar Fæster born in Copenhagen 1818 he was educated in Randers and Kolding (danish towns in Jylland). Member of the gold smiths laug in Odense 26. October 1849. He gets citienship in Nyborg 22. April 1850 - in Odense or Nyborg he makes your spoon. dead 1898.

AM is Anders Jensen Marcussen born 1844 in Rødding (south of Jylland) Educated clock maker and established as so in 1869. His father also was clock maker and goldsmith. And he was educated with him. He died 1922. AM never established as a goldsmith but he has some silver at Haderslav museum 1889 and 1885.

Try to turn last picture and you will see AM.

Initials at front. EKB without any reference it cannot be found. They show us that the 6 are from same family. Age of that engraving is corresponding (in look) with time of makers. From Randers/Kolding to Rødding some 200 or 250 km. From Odense to Rødding 150 km.
Nyborg to Odense 50 km.

I have just search my silver. The silver that I have 1799 - has a different shield. So my 1806 silver is proberly the first in this patern.
This spoon is (grødske) is 37 cm and approx 1910.


It is made by Carl M. Cohr and the reason that I show is that my spoon is factory made. Please see detail.


So when I see your spoons I see a silversmith making them in the traditional way - compare that with my 1910. My spoon har the CMC mark - and the mark of a silversmith. But my "silversmith" has bought the spoon from a factory - adding his mark selling as his own production.
Yours are not made that way. I soppose that the shift - to factory was started after 1850 and in 1880/1890 the factories was dominating leaving the silversmith as more of a retailer.

My 37 cm spoon I bought January 3rd 2009 - and I have already regretted this buy. Empire pattern should be from that time - I will remember never to buy new again. Only from the original period.

Thanks Hose_dk. What a wonderful wealth of information. I don't have any Danish silver, so will enjoy these. It was the wonderful hand made feel of these that attracted me to them. I assume that like all Danish silver, they are sterling standard. Regards Frank

No not sterling
- danish silver is regulated since the 14-hundreds. Regulated according to strict regulations. 13½ lødigt is the standard. 16 is pure silver - danish silver is 13½. or 844 silver where sterling is 925 or 14 3/4

Please dont call it plated (as americans mistake) 13½ was set in 1429 - so it is solid silver according to strict regulations. But contents is 844.