This solid sterling silver olive spoon is a long version, at 8 1/4", and weighty, at 1.0 T. oz. The pattern is Virginia produced by Alvin at the turn of the 20th century. It is a bead and tipt design, clean of look and favoring a traditional sensibility. The bowl is ovoid, deeply cupped and pierced, and has scalloped, flanged shoulders. The condition is flawless and there is no monogram or removal. Marks are the Alvin emblem and the word Sterling.

Commonly referenced as a claret spoon, one reliable online source prefers to identify this 11 3/4" long, 2.6 T. oz., piece as a lemonade soon, while another suggests it was intended for a mixture of fruits and berries soaked in alcohol, in the manner of sangria, rather than wine. Indeed, the 3" long, 1 3/4" at the widest, bowl on this would be too large and sharply angled to fit in a claret decanter, but it would fit a pitcher...

This 7" long, .9 T. oz., silver butter knife is stamped "A. Stowell" for the Boston retailer, and with the word "Coin." It is a simple piece, with an upturned Antique handle, and a blade with a scalloped upper edge. The backside has a large Old English "F" monogram. The interesting aspect of this is the singular style, delicate engraving on the front. It is very fine, utilizing a lot of dots. The handle portraiture is leaf and floral, while the blade is grape leaves and fruit...

Measuring 6 1/16" long (and weighing .8 T. oz.), this is slightly larger than a typical teaspoon. It is an early die struck pattern, Lily, made by A(braham) & W(illiam) Wood of New York City. Their dates are narrow, 1849-71. It was retailed by W.H. Hickcox according to the imprint on the reverse. The design is quite intricate and singular for its c. 1865 period, and it is double die struck, meaning the image appears on both sides of the handle...

This sterling silver sardine fork is yet one more variant in what seem to be endless variants of this form. It is 5 1/2" long and has four relatively short tines. The maker was Baker Manchester whose emblem and the word Sterling appear on the reverse of the piece. The c. 1900 floral pattern is unnamed, but quite appealing, reflecting quality design and die work. It is also relatively weighty at .8 T. oz., and this from a company whose output was often light to the point of flimsy...

This silver bon bon or nut spoon measures 5 3/8" long and weighs .5 T. oz. The pattern is "Poppy" by Baker-Manchester. Poppy is an early 20th century, Art Nouveau design of considerable appeal. This has a three section bowl with a scalloped edge, flanged rim. This is in exceptionally fine condition, showing no wear or damage, and having a fine finish. Marks are the Baker-Manchester "M" flanged by birds, and the word "Sterling."

"Prince Albert" is a design that is attributed to Michael Gibney, but which shows up in the marketplace under various nameplates (Gibney rarely marked his own work). Indeed this exceptionally long, 8 1/8", and heavy, 2.3 T. oz., fork is stamped "Ball, Tompkins & Black." A firm of high standing, successors to Marquand & Co. in 1839 before becoming "Ball, Black & Co." in 1851, it may have enjoyed a particularly close business connection with Gibney...

A bon bon or nut spoon in a style that was popular from the late 1800's to early 1900's, this piece is marked "Bigelow, Kennard & Co." for the Boston retailer, and "Sterling." Gorham produced a number of items of various sizes in this fashion, and that company may have been the maker of this. This piece measures 4 5/8" long and is heavy at 1.2 T. oz. It is a cast handle joined to a cast bowl, both of which sections are highly decorative. The handle features a cherubic figure playing a flute...

At 7 7/8" long, this is a large tea or dessert knife. It is also heavy, weighing 1.8 T. oz. Dating from c. 1870, it is marked with the Boston retailer name "Bigelow, Kennard & Co." on the blade, along with "Sterling." It has a flat, solid silver handle with a blunt end similar to the blunt end of the blade. It is bright cut engraved with a stylized leaf and floral design and has an Old English "M" monogram. The backside is plain. It is in exceptionally fine condition...

This serving fork and spoon may be used as a pair for salad or as individual pieces. They were made by Blackinton and date from the turn of the 20th century. The pattern, Helena, remains decidedly Victorian in style, incorporating beading, fancy scrolls, and any number of flourishes offered in balanced detail. The fork measures 8 11/16" long and has a scrolled shoulder, four-tine serving end. The spoon measures 8 3/16" long and has a ribbed bowl with scalloped and flanged shoulders. The pie...

A turn of the 20th century design, "Helena" is an early offering in the Blackinton line patterns. It is highly embellished with scrolls, beading, acanthus leaves, and hatch marks, all fully emblematic of late Victorian design. The bowl is especially artful, with a scalloped edge, decorated flanged rim, and stylized shell interior. It is pierced and finished in a deep, bronze colored, gold wash. The piece is in mint condition, and there is no monogram or removal. Apart from slight loss of go...

While "Olive" was a standard mid 19th century design, there were many variants. This 7" long, approximately 1.1 T. oz., example tracks to Boston, which had its own subsets of "Olive." It is stamped with the name "Haddock, Lincoln & Foss," a company with dates either side of 1860. Right on the cusp of the change from a coin to a sterling standard, this is marked "925" in an oval, for sterling. The backside of the handle is engraved "JAR to CA" in a handsome, carefully articulated script. The...