Spoon help

[grins]

Anyone able to decipher this font? This and a few more were passed down from relatives.

 

[Red-Coat]

Nice looking piece of silver.

Although it may not look like it, I believe the first letter of the inscription is intended as a capital ‘L’ in a very stylised Old English calligraphic style, with some similarities to this:

There are two lower case letters with a ‘tittle’ (dot) above, which must both be ‘i’ letters. I read it in full as the name “Lillian”. Obviously that will have been added post manufacture of the spoon which is “Georgian” pattern from the Towle Manufacturing Company, designed by George P. Tilton in 1898.

 

[ToddsPoint]

It looks like Dorian to me.🤷🏼

 

[Red-Coat]

It looks like Dorian to me.🤷🏼

I'm 100% sure the second letter is an 'i' and that there is a second 'i' later on. The 'tittles' above the two letters give that away.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I'm 100% sure the second letter is an 'i' and that there is a second 'i' later on. The 'tittles' above the two letters give that away.

I’m having trouble seeing the first letter as an “L”. I googled “Old English fonts” and copied several L letters. In each one, the right side of the letter is open as would be expected on a letter L. The first letter on the OPs spoon is closed on the right side. That is in no way an “L”.

Please show me an Old English font with the letter “L” having a closed right side.

 

[Red-Coat]

When I ran the entire word through OCR using AI, it was determined as “Lilian” (albeit with a single ‘l’ in the middle, not a double). When I run the first capital letter only, it’s determined as a ‘D’.

Whatever it is, it seems to be an amateur engraving using less than orthodox calligraphic embellishment.

What I am sure about is that the two ‘tittles’ above the text are from two ‘i’ letters.

Engravings like this on spoon bowls are almost always the Christian names of the owners or recipients of a gifted item and the names are most commonly female.

If the first letter is a ‘D’, the only possibilities would seem to be 'Divina' or ‘Divinia’… primarily of Spanish origin, but also Greek, Jewish and Scottish (but the latter would need there to be three 'i' letters, not two).

 

[Gare]

Nice finding Good luck with it

 

[ToddsPoint]

When I ran the entire word through OCR using AI, it was determined as “Lilian” (albeit with a single ‘l’ in the middle, not a double). When I run the first capital letter only, it’s determined as a ‘D’.

View attachment 2212069

View attachment 2212070

Whatever it is, it seems to be an amateur engraving using less than orthodox calligraphic embellishment.

What I am sure about is that the two ‘tittles’ above the text are from two ‘i’ letters.

View attachment 2212071

Engravings like this on spoon bowls are almost always the Christian names of the owners or recipients of a gifted item and the names are most commonly female.

If the first letter is a ‘D’, the only possibilities would seem to be 'Divina' or ‘Divinia’… primarily of Spanish origin, but also Greek, Jewish and Scottish (but the latter would need there to be three 'i' letters, not two).

The engraving was mostly done with a “wiggle tool”. You need less skill for it than making lines with a push graver. It was likely done quickly by an apprentice at best. Hopefully the engraver stuck with his craft and eventually improved his work.

 

[grins]

Wow you all came up with much more info than I expected. One name back in our family's time was Darcus. I am still researching and will report back. I did notice the 17 on the rear handle, but not sure of its meaning. Thanks all.