Dirch(?) Stamps on Silver Spoons

[BridgetownTreasures]

That should say DUTCH - sorry - Tnet won't let me edit the title of the post.

Sorry about the quality - pics were taken through a loupe. These stamps are very tiny!

These spoons are 4.5” in length. Each spoon has 2 stamps on the back of the bowl. One is of a cross or sword. The other is the letter K and a half-moon shape - the stamp with the K looks to be partially worn off, so there could have been more.

The spoons are shovel-shaped with a scalloped edge. The twisted handles lead to what I believe are hooves at the end of each spoon.

Thanks for any advice!

 

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[michael NY]

Give this a try I was able to date a ring I found using the hallmarks to date it to the 30s


https://www.925-1000.com/americansilver__Menu.html

 

[BridgetownTreasures]

Thanks Michael! I’m quite certain these are Dutch pieces, not American. I’ve pored through many lists and websites like this one, but I find it to be a needle in a haystack unless you have some concrete info as a starting point. I’ve looked through all of the K names in many lists, but I’m fairly convinced at this point that the K is not a reference to the artist’s name. Hoping to come across someone who recognizes the pattern or the stamps.

 

[XtreasureX]

The sword mark is the standard, .833. The VK is the maker, van Kempen and sons.

 

[BridgetownTreasures]

Thanks! Just found another spoon at a closed auction. Don’t seem to be many of these around. Any idea of the function? Sugar spoons?

 

[XtreasureX]

I image them to be sugar spoons. Maybe part of a tea service. They're cool spoons, I like the hooves.

 

[Red-Coat]

I see that XtreasureX has already posted a good reply while I was composing mine, but I'll post what I was going to say anyway.

Those are indeed Dutch. The same barley-twist stem terminating in a hoof crops up on numerous internet auction sites… usually with the seller incorrectly believing them to be German or Germanic.

You have the ‘sword’ hallmark for .833 fine silver from the Netherlands in use between 1814 and 1906. Unfortunately, for small items, the mark is not usually accompanied by a city assay mark or a date letter so only the maker’s mark might enable you to track it more precisely.



Although it’s most usually ‘VK under a crescent between two dots’, I suspect that the VK with crescent on yours is a variation of the mark used by J.M van Kempen & Zonen of Voorschoten. ‘Zonen’ means ‘Sons’. Van Kempen was in operation between 1858-1924 so, if it is their mark, then your spoons date between 1858-1906.

Most people call these ‘sugar shovel’ spoons. Certainly that shape was used in sugar bowls but also for desserts/sorbets etc. Since you have two of them, that’s more likely what they were sold as… probably in a set of four or more.

 

[XtreasureX]

Hey Red. I was waiting for you to chime in.