Need Some Help

[Jonathan From MS]

Hey guys,
Sunday afternoon I was out digging an old home site and dug a brass fork, I went back yesterday and dug a brass spoon. I know that this is literally impossible to give any kind of ID without pics but I was just wondering what era these were used. I have dug silver spoons or forks in camps but never brass. I will try to post pics later on tonight as I am at work right now. Any help appreciated ya'll have a good one.
Jonathan From MS

 

[coinnut]

Just a guess, but aren't all utensils made of brass and then silver plated? Except for solid silver, all mine read like a brass item on my machine.

 

[Jonathan From MS]

n/t

 

[GRAY GHOST]

hi jonathan, if they're like the ones i find all the time, they're copper with silver plate. i don't know much about the dating, i think it's when they started making that particular line of utensils. with 90% of silver items worldwide, it will say sterling or silver on it if it is silver. cool finds, and hh,

 

[Jonathan From MS]

Hey,
I have seen some copper ones as well. These are solid brass I know that sounds odd but apparently they used to make them out of brass in the early 1800's also I found the Benedict and Burnham flower button at the same site but different homeplace. Those buttons were also made in the 1830's, Benedict and Burnham later became the Waterbury Button Co. in the 1840's. Thanks for all ya'lls comments. I know I am new here but so far I have been treated like a forum veteran, thanks for making a guy feel welcome. Later Ya'll

 

[RelicDigger1]

Jonathan, are there any markings at all on the reverse side behind the spoon bowl? Anything at all?

For future reference, if you're in doubt as to an item's age, look for any city of origin. If you have a city name only (London, Paris, New York, etc) without a country, you're looking at pre-1880 or so. It became international law about that time to require a manufacturer to stamp the country of origin on a piece in order that a city's reputation for quality may not be mistaken somewhere else.

In other words, if London, England has a reputation for high quality buttons, spoons, watches then anyone in London, Kentucky could use the name "London" to imply their product is the genuine item of respected quality from England. Until the 1880 law, that is.

Didn't mean to preach or speak too long. Pass the offering plate.

HTH

Richard

 

[Jonathan From MS]

n/t