St Paul Apostle Spoon, 1635

This is a really fine example of a Charles I period silver apostle spoon. It has a good hefty weight and a superb bowl which shows no wear and retains its original thick rim. St. Paul with his sword is represented as the apostle and as the patron saint of London was a particularly favoured choice. The top of his sword is slightly pushed back and this is the only slightly negative feature to report as the spoon is in overall excellent condition with a good patina. The cast apostle terminal has a sacred dove motif to the nimbus. The spoon portrays a great set of hallmarks and include the "BY" over " a gate" mark for the specialist spoonmaker Benjamin Yates.

Benjamin Yates was apprenticed to the specialist spoonmaker, John Feake from 1616 and became free in 1624. In turn, he bound five apprentices including the prolific Daniel Cary.