About a year ago, I purchased this Britannia-standard teaspoon:
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| Britannia-standard teaspoon, Samuel Hitchcock, London |
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| Close-up of hallmarks and initials |
The teaspoon was made by Samuel Hitchcock, who, according to
Jackson's Silver & Gold Marks, entered his first mark in 1713 (164). From general research it appears that Mr. Hitchcock was by and large a spoon maker. The back of the teaspoon is crudely initialed "EI." The one feature on this teaspoon that stands out is the shape of the punch around the lion's head erased. To date, I have not seen the lion's head erased in the same shield-shaped punch...that is, until about a week ago.
About a week ago, I spotted a pair of Britannia-standard teaspoons by Samuel Hitchcock. Not only is this pair engraved with the same crude "EI," but they are also marked with the lion's head erased in the same shield-shaped punch.
Here is the pair of teaspoons:
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| Front and back of pair of Britannia-standard teaspoons, Samuel Hitchcock, London |
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| Close-up of hallmarks and initials on pair of teaspoons |
I always keep an eye out for spoons or forks that match those I already have, but the closest I've come is finding a set of tablespoons with the same stork crest, but the maker and date were different. Now, of course, I'm convinced that there are three other teaspoons out there matching these just waiting to be found. The hunt is on!
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| Together again at last |
Sources:
Pickford, Ian, ed. Jackson's Silver & Gold Marks of England, Scotland & Ireland. 3rd ed., 1989. Woodbridge:
The Antique Collectors' Club, Ltd., 2011. Print.
Very interesting! If it's not indiscreet, what was the distance, in time and space, from the purchase of the first spoon to the acquisition of the second and third?
ReplyDeleteThe "EI" marking looks quite old, but I always find it hard to judge. Do you think they left the maker's shop in London marked with the initials or did they acquire them at some time later?
Not indiscreet at all. All three were eBay purchases, different sellers but both UK-based. The first spoon I purchased just about a year ago, and the second and third came as a pair and I just bought them.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the initialing, I feel the "EI" engravings are original to manufacture. It looks to me as if it's a case of a customer ordering the teaspoons plain, and thinking to save some money does a DIY scratch engraving job after getting them home. Or, if the maker's shop put them on, I hope they didn't charge much!
Very interesting indeed. I have in stock a large basting spoon by Sam Hitchcock from 1714. I've just checked and the lions head erased punch is of the regular type. I wonder if the spoons weren't sent to the assay office, hence no britannia mark or date punch and Hitchcock used his own punch?
ReplyDeleteHi Matthew,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Is your basting spoon fully hallmarked? It has been my experience that early teaspoons were very seldom fully hallmarked, and only marked with the lions head erased or the lion passant and the maker's mark. These are the only teaspoons I have seen where the lion's head erased is in this shield-shaped punch, so you bring up an interesting point that perhaps Hitchcock had his own lions head erased punch!
Yes the basting spoon is fully hallmarked. I have a couple of clear pictures of the marks:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lafitefinesilver.com/store/p20/Queen_Anne_Silver_Hash_Spoon_Samuel_Hitchcock_London_1714.html
Very interesting indeed!
Regards
Matthew.