I’m going with London, 1782 Thomas Northcote, and making the assumption that the obscured marks are post assay marks for obscure reasons. The other possibility is it’s 1822 and one of the obscure marks is a duty mark and the other is an uncrowned leopard but close examination doesn’t suggest as much, and the order is weird. As well the verso monogram looks more 1782 than 1822. Many thanks for having a look and offering guidance. 12.5cm and 15gr.
I am thinking pseudo British marks, possibly Chinese or Cape marks.
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The oval shape around the lion passant is something which is seen in the earlier date cycle. I have no doubt that this is 1782 and Thomas Northcote. The 2 partially obscured marks are a bit of a mystery though; neither one looks like it could be a crowned leopard’s head and in any case this is often missing on smaller items of the period.
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I don’t think it is a duty mark. I think it’s something else. According to this excellent website Types of Spoons » Antique Silver Spoons teaspoons 1781-1784 only had lion passant, date letter and maker, no crowned leopard and 1782 pre-dates duty marks, which is what leads me to believe the other marks are something else from a later date. From the close up above it looks like Karl Marx. He wrote Das Kapital in London, so maybe he was enjoying a little bourgoisie indulgence and had his teaspoons stamped with his image?
Thanks for confirming year and maker Phil.
I hadn’t looked that closely at those other 2 marks but now that it’s right in front of me and very clear I can see wht it is; not Karl Marx - it’s Socrates, a French mark used on 800 standard silver 1819-1838. The French higher standard was 950 so English 925 would not have met that. The other rubbed mark may be the oval mark for larger objects although why both guarantee marks might be required I really don’t know.
The spoon seems to have had an interesting life, made in London and then imported into France. If only it could talk…
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That explains it nicely Phil, an unusual set of marks to be seen together.
Fantastic! You nailed it Phil. Socrates it is. On closer examination, I can see a 3 in the other mark, so it must be as you suggested Phil, the large item mark Hercule with the number for the particular department in France. Unfortunately the other digit is rubbed. Maybe it’s 33 which would make sense due to the vigorous wine trade between Bordeaux and England? Fascinating stuff. I take it the legal French marks on it were added so it could be resold legally in France?