posted on November 16, 2002 04:08:02 PM new
Hi! Have found (at an estate sale) a beautiful spoon - 9". The bowl is 3-3/4" x 2-3/4" and scallopped around the edges. It has a floral design and on the back says Al. Also 1835 R. Wallace and Pat June 6 03.
Know nothing about this. Should it be categorized as Sterling or Silverplate -- and what is the significance of A1. Any
guidance would be appreciated. Thanks
posted on November 16, 2002 04:58:07 PM new
If you can post a picture on the thread, I may be able to ID it. I can tell you that it is not from 1835, with a patent of 1903, & is almost certatanty that it is silverplate. All sterling will be marked sterling, from England & USA. Oh yes, I need only the handle. not the whole spoon
[ edited by sanmar on Nov 16, 2002 04:59 PM ]
posted on November 16, 2002 05:05:23 PM new
American sterling silver is either marked "sterling" or "sterling silver" or ".925" (or higher, which indicates it's silver content and its silver content must be at least .925 to be sterling). If it just says "silver" it is most likely not sterling, but "nickel silver" or some other metal mixture that may or may not contain some actual silver, but most assuredly less than .925 (I've seen this on Navajo jewelry).
British sterling silver is stamped with a lion motif if I remember correctly.
If it is Mexican or Thai (for example) jewelry, you can not always trust what it says on the piece, for "foreign" sterling is rife with fraud.
posted on November 16, 2002 05:32:49 PM new
Your piece is definitely not sterling. It is silverplate. It is quite collectible though. 1835 Wallace is a desired pattern. Plain spoons and such are much more common, but a nice serving piece like yours is a good find. I haven't kept up recently, but pre Ebay it was worth about $100.
posted on November 16, 2002 08:06:06 PM new
What you have is very likely the "Floral" design (judging by the patent date). Because of the bowl size, you probably have a berry spoon (some call it a casserole spoon). It is silverplate, not sterling, and it's a very beautiful set when you have all the pieces.
Here's a closed auction to check and see if this is your spoon:
Floral is a multi-motif pattern, which means that many pieces have different designs on the handles, even though the general shape of the handle is the same on all pieces.
Depending on condition, I've seen this piece go from $10 to $35 on eBay over the last couple of years
I hope this helps!
Without eBay, I might have a real life...
[ edited by mcbrunnhilde on Nov 16, 2002 08:06 PM ]
[ edited by mcbrunnhilde on Nov 16, 2002 08:06 PM ]