🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Old spoon ID . Teach me

WoodsDigger · Nov 25, 2025

I have been trying to identify timelines of use on my property . Im near the east end of Lake Ontario. At my site where I have several hundred years of artifacts. They range from pre contact native american, fur trade, British musket balls and so on.
I need help with learning silverware, makers marks, where to look , how to clean and so forth. What I have is kind rough not even sure its a spoon. It does have markings outside the ones that show in the pics. They are faint, im scared to work it at all.
The handle is as flat as a tongue depressor. The bowl is missing. Let's just start there!

Plus ...call me crazy but it seems it has some lead stuck to it.

WoodsDigger · Nov 25, 2025

pepperj · Nov 25, 2025

If it's brass then give it a soak Hydrogen Peroxide to get more details on the design.

Older The Better · Nov 25, 2025

I don’t know if I’m qualified to be teaching anything but if I found it, I’d assume that’s a base metal and the plating has worn off and may try to clean it with an Andre’s pencil, and I’d look for makers marks somewhere near where the bowl used to be on the thin end

WoodsDigger · Nov 25, 2025

pepperj said:
If it's brass then give it a soak Hydrogen Peroxide to get more details on the design.

Its kinda flexible not sure what it is but rang up an 18 right where a good sized shotgun shell brass would. and I agree its lost plating lucky to see what we can.

WoodsDigger · Nov 25, 2025

WoodsDigger said:
I have been trying to identify timelines of use on my property . Im near the east end of Lake Ontario. At my site where I have several hundred years of artifacts. They range from pre contact native american, fur trade, British musket balls and so on.
I need help with learning silverware, makers marks, where to look , how to clean and so forth. What I have is kind rough not even sure its a spoon. It does have markings outside the ones that show in the pics. They are faint, im scared to work it at all.
The handle is as flat as a tongue depressor. The bowl is missing. Let's just start there!

Plus ...call me crazy but it seems it has some lead stuck to it.

That hunk of lead was out in the river edge too. I have found casting melted drops of lead here at the same spot . But what is that huge hunk with like a sprue mark ? It has another small peice stuck to it like bubblegum. Intentionally stuck to it.