The Nicest Silver Spoon I've Found Yet!

[romeo-1]

Got out with Tony for most of a full day with high expectations. We had a plan to try a site that had been recently plowed and then do some door knocking to try to get on something new. Well we treked into the the site that we thought was plowed but it turned out to be the adjacent field that was plowed... not the site so that was a bust.

We did some door knocking and did secure a new site but after an hour we determined it was a dud and starting to feel dejected we went back to the site we hit on Friday which produced a few silvers and a handful of coppers.

I started in a different area of the field and almost immediately scored what I thought would be my find of the day...a chunk of cannon barshot! I love digging cannonballs and have a decent collection now including a few chunks of barshot so I was more than happy to add this. Next decent target was a better than 1832 Nova Scotia half penny token.

Decided to finish the day and site on a strip that we hunted yesterday and picked up some bits and bobs. Final target of the day was my find of the month...very ornate silver spoon! I must admit that there was a 90 degree bend in the handle which I very carefully straightened to a displayable degree!

Very happy with this hunt despite the rough start!

 

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[Jeff H]

Nice finds for sure Romeo. That token is in great shape. I'll take a rough start any day if I could finish it like that.

 

[Almy]

Nice variety of finds. The token is in great shape.

 

[Lenrac2]

Great finds! That token is awesome!

 

[Red-Coat]

Lovely spoon, despite having seen better days, but a toughie to date.

It's by the Towle Manufacturing Co. of Newburyport, MA. and later known as Towle Silversmiths. That's their mark just before the word "Sterling"... a lion rampant enclosed by an ornate script letter 'T':



That mark was in use from 1890 through to modern times. The pattern is one of a myriad of variations on their "Old English" pattern, designed by George P. Tilton in 1892. It underwent a number of subtle modifications both through time and also according to the utensil type and was still in production in 1996. Here's a close example from an early catalogue:



The "T. Long & Co." (I think that's what it says) might help with the dating. I presume it will be a retail jeweller who sold, but didn't make, silver flatware. Not a name I'm familiar with but it could be a small or short-lived company. The mark is a simple post-production stamp and Towle would apply stamps like that that for any customer for a small fee.

 

[DigToChina]

Top shelf finds Romeo! Way to turn the day around.

 

[romeo-1]

Lovely spoon, despite having seen better days, but a toughie to date.

It's by the Towle Manufacturing Co. of Newburyport, MA. and later known as Towle Silversmiths. That's their mark just before the word "Sterling"... a lion rampant enclosed by an ornate script letter 'T':

View attachment 1947984

That mark was in use from 1890 through to modern times. The pattern is one of a myriad of variations on their "Old English" pattern, designed by George P. Tilton in 1892. It underwent a number of subtle modifications both through time and also according to the utensil type and was still in production in 1996. Here's a close example from an early catalogue:

View attachment 1947986

The "T. Long & Co." (I think that's what it says) might help with the dating. I presume it will be a retail jeweller who sold, but didn't make, silver flatware. Not a name I'm familiar with but it could be a small or short-lived company. The mark is a simple post-production stamp and Towle would apply stamps like that that for any customer for a small fee.

That's great info...thank you! Though this is an early site, a lot of the targets here are 1900-1930 so I suspect the spoon is within that range but I will definitely research T. Long & Co.

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!!! Congrats!!!!

 

[Red-Coat]

That's great info...thank you! Though this is an early site, a lot of the targets here are 1900-1930 so I suspect the spoon is within that range but I will definitely research T. Long & Co.

You're welcome.

This may narrow it down a bit. I think the retail jeweller was the business founded in 1878 by Thomas Long in Boston. Company history is a bit sketchy but there is correspondence that shows them trading as “Thomas Long and Co” in 1896:



By 1926 they were trading as “Thomas Long Company” (no “and” or ampersand), although it’s not clear when the company name changed:



They’re still in business (at least in name, but having changed hands) as the full-service jeweller “Long’s”, with five stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

 

[Hunk-a-lead]

great saves and beautiful spoon, wtg

 

[Florida Finder]

I know you enjoyed digging up those sweet finds!!Congratulations!!!

 

[xr7ator]

Great post and grats on the keepers.

 

[islamoradamark]

thats a really good day congrats

 

[billb]

Got out with Tony for most of a full day with high expectations. We had a plan to try a site that had been recently plowed and then do some door knocking to try to get on something new. Well we treked into the the site that we thought was plowed but it turned out to be the adjacent field that was plowed... not the site so that was a bust.

We did some door knocking and did secure a new site but after an hour we determined it was a dud and starting to feel dejected we went back to the site we hit on Friday which produced a few silvers and a handful of coppers.

I started in a different area of the field and almost immediately scored what I thought would be my find of the day...a chunk of cannon barshot! I love digging cannonballs and have a decent collection now including a few chunks of barshot so I was more than happy to add this. Next decent target was a better than 1832 Nova Scotia half penny token.

Decided to finish the day and site on a strip that we hunted yesterday and picked up some bits and bobs. Final target of the day was my find of the month...very ornate silver spoon! I must admit that there was a 90 degree bend in the handle which I very carefully straightened to a displayable degree!

Very happy with this hunt despite the rough start!

Got out with Tony for most of a full day with high expectations. We had a plan to try a site that had been recently plowed and then do some door knocking to try to get on something new. Well we treked into the the site that we thought was plowed but it turned out to be the adjacent field that was plowed... not the site so that was a bust.

We did some door knocking and did secure a new site but after an hour we determined it was a dud and starting to feel dejected we went back to the site we hit on Friday which produced a few silvers and a handful of coppers.

I started in a different area of the field and almost immediately scored what I thought would be my find of the day...a chunk of cannon barshot! I love digging cannonballs and have a decent collection now including a few chunks of barshot so I was more than happy to add this. Next decent target was a better than 1832 Nova Scotia half penny token.

Decided to finish the day and site on a strip that we hunted yesterday and picked up some bits and bobs. Final target of the day was my find of the month...very ornate silver spoon! I must admit that there was a 90 degree bend in the handle which I very carefully straightened to a displayable degree!

Very happy with this hunt despite the rough start!

Congratulations on your beautiful recoveries well done

 

[ironhorse]

It's great to be digging silver along with those old tokens...great combination!
Best of luck with those new permissions, hopefully more tokens and silver for you guys!