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I have this interesting Portugese silver toddy/sauce ladle, It carries the boar mark with {II} , I no or I think I know this dates it to around 1887-1937, however there is a second mark I can not make out and I am unsure if anyone will be able to make it out as its very small and under a loupe I can not make out what it is.

I was wondering if this would have been some sort of Souvenir piece and the terminal may be a coat of arms from a Portugese city?....Above the top crown it looks like something is missing, a small part looks to have brokeb off, An interesting item never the less.

Souvenir sauce ladle from (by me unknown “coat of arms” of a town); assayed in Porto 1887-1937.

Hello Colin

Yours interpretations are correct — souvenir sauce ladle, assay mark 1887-1937 (‘boar II’ [= .833], inside the octogonal cartouche [= square with clipped edges] of Porto).

It seems to me, that the here shown “coat of arms” has in two of their segmentations a human figure as central theme; but that don’t look like to be the “Madonna of Fátima”. The central shield could be a »Sacred Heart« - so it is maybe the “coat of arms” of one of the ‘ancients’ towns of Portugal, which has been Religion oriented? But it isn’t in all details the “coat of arms” of Braga too; well it includes some elements of Braga (which is called “the ‘Rome’ of Portugal”): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braga" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BRG.png" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idol%27s_Fountain" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fonte ... _Braga.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please forgive me, that I don’t search deeper the “coat of arms” — there are some thousands of » Brasões «.

It seems to me that yours little ladle could be made in one of the little silversmith’s workshops in Porto. Here you could see another example of a cast made souvenir spoon, illegal pseudo-assayed in Porto:

http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20023" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The finial of yours little ladle maybe wouldn't have had another “finial”? The wings behind the crown are so placed, that it looks more, that the finial isn’t finished nicely. It seems to me, that these parts are the remains of the production methods, a cast processing.

Next to the ‘boar II’ mark, the stretched rectangle would be the maker’s mark.

Of course these Portuguese maker’s marks are from 1887 on often very difficult to “read” — here you could see some examples; an easy one, and two “good” ones:

http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=21347" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 15&t=15278" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 21&t=21371" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I request you kindly; please clean up the maker’s mark:

http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 34&t=19420" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Then after please make a clipping photo; please only from the maker’s mark. If that is impossible, please make a drawing of the mark. Very important is to know the capital letter inside the mark; some times the letter is integrated in a symbol. Yes, the Portuguese maker’s marks are belonging from 1887 on to the Globe’s difficult to “read” ones.

Good luck!

Kind regards silverport