Early Caddy Spoon, 1781

The earliest date mark on a London-made silver caddy spoon will be for 1781 (date letter "f") in combination with the lion passant and maker's mark. This charming silver caddy spoon is stamped with a clear set of hallmarks for that year and was made by the top specialist silver spoonmaker, George Smith.

There was a brief period of fashion for short-handled tea caddy spoons, as can be seen on this example, plus the bead edging is very typical of circa 1780-made silverware. The limited field on the handle is filled with a contemporary to manufacture engraved crest depicting a stag. The circular bowl is attractively fluted making this a first-class example of an early caddy spoon with the additional benefit of being in fine condition throughout.