That’s a very cool find. I collect early silver. Without it being in front of me it’s hard to tell if it’s original or a nice newer piece. All silver flatware was hand made. Silver does not melt and cast well with smaller pieces such as that. Style wise with the top design and the very large rat tail, it’s from the very early 1700’s. I haven’t found anything on the makers mark but I only looked for a short time. So here’s what I think. Is it a bit flexible or very hard and difficult to bend (just a smidge!) If it’s hard then it may be a plated piece. Do an acid test to see if it’s silver. To me, it looks like silver. If it is, then you may very well have a nice early piece. I would say it’s a foreign item. European or maybe Scandinavian. Could also be Portuguese. It’s possible it could be an unknown domestic smith but highly unlikely. It’s damn cool and I would have gladly paid $10 for it all day!! Well done and keep us posted on the acid test.
