Partial Hallmark 1754 London Spoon

[dw171]

Got this spoon today from an antique store. It is monogrammed AM GKF 1754, Colo 1906, and on the front V.O. Penley. I'm pretty sure it was made closer to 1754 than 1906. No idea how it would make it to Colorado for a monogram 150 years later. On the back I can make out 1 1/2 letters, B (or R) and then maybe D, R, or P, all in fancy cursive lettering. The marks in order I believe are maker's mark, date code, London mark, then what's left of the lion. When holding the spoon at the right angle it also looks like there's a T for the date code, which would back up 1754. The mark next to it, I'm assuming is the London mark. You can only make out the top half of a crown. The lion mark seems to have been worn off completely, with just a fraction of the edge left. Do you think this was made in 1754, and if so any idea on the maker? There were a couple makers from that time frame with similar initials, but none with lettering like that.

[silverly]

The only thing I may be able to help with is the name V O Penley. It is probably Vincent Owen Penley who was naturalized in Trinidad, Colorado in 1903 and died in Colorado in 1922. Vincent was born in Odington, Gloucestershire, England in 1863 and was a Minister. His father Francis Thorpe Penley was a curate. Francis's grandmother was a Finch which may account for the "F" initial on the handle of your spoon.

[dw171]

That's quite some information you were able to find. It sure sounds like it would match the story of the spoon to me. Unfortunately, without wanting to spend any money on ancestry searches, I can't go any farther back than V O Penley's father's name. Thanks for finding what you did, it'll give me something more to search.

[agphile]

I agree that stylistically the spoon is likely to be from around 1754 and that the very worn marks would be consistent with a London spoon. Sadly, I cannot offer a confident attribution for the maker's mark. There are a few known spoon makers with initials that might fit but a quick flip through Grimwade suggests to me that the best match might be number 3785, a cursive RP noted on tablespoons of 1754. The mark is not recorded in any of the surviving assay office records but Grimwade suggests Robert Perth as its probable owner. Heal records Perth as a London goldsmith 1738-55

[dognose]

See: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 3&p=123039

Please remember to keep your images to within the 7" (18cm) width limits.

Trev.

[dw171]

Sorry I tried lowering the resolution before posting, thinking they would work. What dimensions would fit the requirements?