Seal-top Spoon, circa 1570

We are offering an attractive Elizabethan period silver seal top spoon. The spoon is typically lightweight for provincial manufacture, although it has survived in remarkably good condition. It has a lovely fig-shaped bowl which has retained its full size and shape. The date "1515" is stamped to the back of the stem, although we feel that this is probably a bit too early as the squat seal finial to the terminal is representative of the type found during the mid-16th century. The bowl is stamped with a rose mark that we have so far been unable to firmly place, although it has similarities to the marks shown in Jacksons (Pickford edition) on page 277 that have been tenatively ascribed to Southampton.

This is a really nice early spoon at a very competitive price. The price reflects our inability to firmly attribute the spoon, but should an origin be found then the value will surely rise!