Catalog: Souvenirs

Measuring 5 13/16" long and weighing just under 1.1 T. oz., this teaspoon is marked with an "H" in a diamond, which is a Gorham designation for "heavy." Other marks are the company "lion, anchor, G" emblem, "Sterling," and "Pat. Mar. 20. 1894."

It is a Zodiac spoon for the month of December. The sign is "Capricornus," the sea-goat, more commonly identified as "Capricorn," whose image appears on the handle. Other decorative elements include holly leaves and berries tumbling into the handle...

Tiffany produced a line of at least twelve "Floral" designs in the late 19th century that were offered in a wide array of pieces.

These two examples are demitasse spoons. The flowers are, left to right in the images, "Dandelion" and "Daisy."

They are respectively 4 1/4" and 3 7/8" long, and weigh just over .6 T. oz. combined. The handles are cast, which provides for more detail and relief than could be achieved using the usual drop strike method...

More characteristically thought of as citrus or grapefruit spoons, catalogs of a century or more ago commonly identified this form as an orange spoon.

These two examples were produced by Watson and may be one each, orange and grapefruit spoon. They vary in size, the larger measuring 6" long and weighing just under 1.0 T. oz., while the smaller one is 5 5/8" long and weighs just under .7 T. oz. The variance may be an indicator of use...

Made by Watson, whose pennant emblem and the word "Sterling" appears on the backside, this spoon measures 5 13/16" long and is weighty at just over 1.0 T. oz.

A "Mississippi" souvenir piece, it is replete with iconography. Images include an eagle with shield, "Jeff Davis/Old Home," the "State Capitol," "Shirley House," and the "Surrender Monument," and corn stalks.

It also has an unusual bowl surface...

The early 20th century witnessed a burst of interest in zodiac signs among silver manufacturers. Gorham is the firm that seemed to have capitalized most fully in this trend, but other producers offered entries as well.

Watson was among them and this 5 7/8" long, just under 1.0 T. oz. teaspoon is an example of that company's output.

The sign is "Gemini," as identified in the upper right hand edge of the front...

Measuring 5 1/4" long and weighty at just over .9 T. oz., this souvenir spoon was made by the Mechanics division of Watson. The company's pennant emblem appears on the backside, along with the word "Sterling."

The handle portrays a full-sized, standing American indian holding a bow, while the reverse shows his shield. The detail is exceptional, exhibiting precise die work and articulate portraiture...

This 5 5/8" long, weighty, 1.1 T. oz., sterling silver souvenir spoon portrays a number of images connected with the Civil War "Battle of Lookout Mountain."

The center of the handle features a number of soldiers climbing a hillside slope. The end of the handle shows a bust of "Joseph Hooker," the general in command of the operation. The lower portion of the handle reads, "Lookout Mt., Battle Above the Clouds, Nov...

Portraying a bust on the handle and a mounted image for the French King and Roman Catholic Saint for whom the City of Saint Louis was named, this spoon was retailed by that city's premier jeweler, "Mermod-Jaccard & King Co." (1905 forward), as marked on the reverse, along with the word "Sterling."

This is a superbly crafted item. The imagery portrays a youthful king wearing a crown and with his shoulders draped in a clasped cloak...

The genre is known as "souvenir spoons," but occasionally such commemorative items were produced in other forms...

This popular souvenir spoon was originally produced by Gorham in the 1890's and reissued as late as the 1970's or 80's. The dating on this 4 1/4" long, relatively heavy .4 T. oz., example is uncertain, although it has qualities that suggest age. The handle retains a sharply defined pattern front and back sides and in the bowl of the spoon. The elements of the design are highly detailed and not murky. The main features are a Santa Claus climbing into a chimney, holly, bells, and a chimney hun...

Produced by Gorham's renowned Antoine Heller, Coligni stands alongside such other commanding figural patterns as Versailles, Fontainebleau, Mythologique, and Old Medici offered by that firm and designer in the late 19th century. Of all those designs, it may be the one with a look most likely to have gone toe-to-toe with Tiffany's Olympian of the same period. This 6" long, heavy, just over 1.0 T. oz., teaspoon features two draped female figures carrying baskets filled with flowers and/or fruit,...