We do not usually offer items on other people's behalf, but an extended family member has acquired quite a bit of sterling Silver and plate. Knowing that our family runs a website where we are finding new homes for the masses of things we have collected over many many years, these extended family members have asked if 'someone' may like to find new, appreciative homes for some of their items. Most are quite "ordinary", some a little strange and yet others are steeped in mystery - these teaspoons fall into the latter category although I found out a little about one of them ...
I believe these are not particularly old, not sure about the monogrammed teaspoon but the Sant' Andrea teaspoons would date from around the 1990's
The Photographs show the teaspoons and their "markings", these are offered INDIVIDUALLY, not as a set.
SILVER PLATED TEASPOONS - All are offered individually (but if someone wanted all of them together, an automatic discount is applied at the checkout)
Standard size teaspoons with a "normal" shaped bowl
All teaspoons have the distinctive "drop" at the point where the handle meets the back of the bowl. This does not mean it is a two-piece teaspoon but it was intentionally made thicker at this point to increase the teaspoon strength.
MONOGRAMMED Teaspoon (1)
This is yet another of the "mysteries" that I get handed from time to time ...
The rear of the handle has A1 stamped in a square (indicating highest quality plating)
M H & Co A plus something that I just could not figure out what it was (an animal? symbol?) All of these stampings are within shaped boxes and using a Gothic font which doesn't make life easy for me!
Near the spoon handle tip is a monogram, again in a Gothic font and for me at least, very difficult to decipher! It looks to be two or three letters but with so much "curling" of the characters, I have no idea what these letters are.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED (A lot!)
Normal usage scratches and marks in the bowl area
More important is the wear to the Silver plating that I can see ... around the monogram and on the rear (underside) of the bowl. Although "worn" I decided to still offer this because someone may know the significance of the monogram or even the Silversmith's markings on the rear
SANT' ANDREA Teaspoons (2)
Widely recognised as high quality silver plate ware from Italy, a trade name used by Oneida Ltd
Immediately noticeable is the lack of any stampings on the rear of the handle but instead there are two incredibly small stamps inside the top of the bowl. These two impressed stampings are VERY small and difficult to read but I have tried to show these in the photographs.
One impression reads SANT' ANDREA and the other is a symbol, but it's meaning escapes me!
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
Normal usage scratches and marks in the bowl area
No wearing away of the plating observed on either teaspoon
Every teaspoon has now been placed into a completely sealed clear plastic packet so that the nice "Oh you shiny thing you" look remains as long as possible before another "rubbing session" with a soft cloth is required.
