Antique Sterling Silver Serving Spoon London England

This handsome 240 year old sterling silver serving spoon was made by London silversmith George Smith III in 1785. It's Hanoverian in style, created during the reign of King George III. The large, wide oval bowl of the spoon and the downcurved tip are typical of this era, as is the short rattail on the back of the spoon. The underside of the tip of the spoon has a short ridge (or "pip"). The rounded end of the handle is engraved with a swimming swan. We like to think this spoon came from The Swan Inn in London, built in the 14th century. ⁂

The back of the spoon handle is fully hallmarked, with all of the marks visible (but not easy for us to photograph.) They read from left to right:

Duty mark for King George III

Date code k for 1785

Lion passant

Crowned leopard

Maker's mark for George Smith III

The spoon is 9 inches long and weighs 70.87 grams (2.5 ounces). It's in very good condition, with a bit of rubbing to the underside of the very tip (it's not on the top, just the underside).

This antique English solid silver spoon is a wonderful piece of British history and a great find for the collector.

⁂ A fun bit of history: The Swan Inn was a coaching inn, where coaches stopped on their way through London. Prisoners on their way to the gallows were often permitted to stop here for a last drink, giving rise to the phrases "One for the road" and "On the wagon," which implied that the prisoner would never take another drink.

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