Rare Crested Kirk 10 3/8" Shell Bowl Serving Spoon 1830

Early S. Kirk serving or stuffing spoon bearing the S. K. and 11 oz punches, indicating manufacture close to 1830. The spoon, in the fiddle thread pattern, has a unicorn crest and a handsome shell bowl. Crests are unusual on American silver; in this case, research indicates it may be that of the Preston family of Baltimore, which has been prominent for three centuries. The spoon is 10 3/8 inches long and weighs 3 ounces and 3 pennyweights (Troy). The 11 oz mark indicates that the silver was composed of 11 parts of silver to one ounce of copper (11 Troy ounces of silver to a Troy pound, which is 12 Troy ounces). More photos are available and can be emailed on request.