I purchased a shoe box of cutlery six months ago. All I wanted was the carving knife and cake server.
Now I’m hooked on identifying the rest peices in the box. One of the items in the box is what I believe to be a desert spoon. Its has a dark blueish tone, with signs of being polished in the past. I can not date the item or identify the maker. It’s a quality piece. There is also an impressed number Rd. 55498. I will also include photos. Any assistance is appreciated.
Best regards,
Freddy K.
King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England
It won’t be a dessert [note spelling] spoon with those ridges - it would feel pretty nasty in the mouth. It’s more likely a preserve or serving spoon for fruit, etc.
D&S is James Deakin & Son of Sheffield and design registration number 55498 was issued in 1886 so your spoons, which are electroplated not silver, must date from some time after that.
James Deakin and Sons used a desk bell as a trademark to distinguish its products from another Sheffield silversmith, James Dixon & Sons, which also used the initials JD&S.
While often interpreted as a lamp, the mark is actually a desk bell. The company added it to its hallmarks for silver-plated production to avoid confusion between the two manufacturers. Dixon & Sons used a bugle as its trademark. Unusual to see it on sterling.
Thank you for all this information guys, I think I could easily get hooked on another interesting hobby.
I am definitely going to go through the rest of the shoe box now. - There is prongs, forks, spoons, etc. The most unusual items in the box are, what I think are winkle pickers or crab/lobster pickers.
