Spoon Help.

[Garabaldi]

Anyone know if I should try to clean this spoon. How old do you think it is. Seems like silver. I dug it in a park in Boston. My first large spoon.
Ty

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Personaly, I don't think its silver. However, You could take a toothbrush with warm soap water and clean the "shaft" on the back side towards the bottom where the handle connects to the spoon where there should be a makers mark. That would held trmendously with orrigin and age. I'm saying late 1920's-40's Congrats on the first spoon find!

 

[CRUSADER]

Not silver & not too old, 50 year

 

[relichunters]

It's not silver, if it was it'd be silver.

 

[CRUSADER]

It's not silver, if it was it'd be silver.

Can I quote you

 

[Woodland Detectors]

It's his first spoon guys..

 

[CRUSADER]

It's his first spoon guys..

first large spoon, might have had lots of small ones....

 

[Woodland Detectors]

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Personaly, I don't think its silver. However, You could take a toothbrush with warm soap water and clean the "shaft" on the back side towards the bottom where the handle connects to the spoon where there should be a makers mark. That would held trmendously with orrigin and age. I'm saying late 1920's-40's Congrats on the first spoon find!

Clean this spot and look for makers marks and we will ID it for you. It may be Nickle Silver.

 

[mojjax]

It looks like brass that was once silver plated . Checking that area BigCy pointed out would be good !

 

[Garabaldi]

I have found one other spoon and it was small . I washed the back area and there is no markings. Is it common that some spoons have no marking? Should I run it through the electrolysis machine? What do you guys do with your big spoons .

 

[mile-ender]

Here's your answer - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/209730/flatware - leave it as is - don't bother w/ the electrolysis. When you see 'em in museums they look pretty much like the one you're holding.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Should I run it through the electrolysis machine? What do you guys do with your big spoons .

Electriolysis does not work well on brass/copper. There may be other methods that are better if you prefer to clean it. Peroxide maybe? Look here: http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/board,70.0.html

 

[traderoftreasures]

welcome and silver does not tarnish or rust or corrode

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

welcome and silver does not tarnish or rust or corrode

it just turns black...

 

[traderoftreasures]

aah.. whoops, guess i didn't mean to say "tarnish". what i meant to say is "why won't silver hurry up and go to $20.00"

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

aah.. whoops, guess i didn't mean to say "tarnish". what i meant to say is "why won't silver hurry up and go to $20.00"

Now that we are on the subject of silver, I heard that before the Industrial Age of pollution, silver did not tarnish like it does today. I dont know how true it is.

 

[olepossum]

go to garage and plug in bench grinder and have at it with the coarse wheel then use the wire wheel NO JUST KIDDING i agree with hot water medium tooth brush and dawn liquid dish soap oh yeah dont let the significant other catch you cleaning dirty md finds in the kitchen sink eeeeeeeewwwww is what i hear most of the time

 

[Garabaldi]

When you see 'em in museums they look pretty much like the one you're holding.

I like the idea of displaying it as is. All this disussion about spoons has made me look at the other two spoons I have found and relized one of my spoons I had dug out of the ocean has an image on teh handle. I am going to post it next. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Stick around. This is the spot to learn and teach.