James I Silver Apostle Spoon, 1616 St. Jude

 Made during the reign of King James I, this is a fine quality silver apostle spoon with a good weight in the hand.

The cast apostle figure to the terminal is carrying a long, halberd cross in his right hand that identifies him as St Jude. The figure retains its original gilding and is wearing a rayed nimbus to the head. The original v-notch join to the stem is visible and the lower part of the stem is engraved "1561" - most likely added by a 19th century collector.

The deep, fig-shaped bowl is in fine condition with a full, unworn shape and is struck with a clear leopard's head crowned mark. The condition of the spoon is excellent with a good patina.

There is a great set of hallmarks to the reverse of the stem and these include a date letter "T" for 1616, lion passant and conjoined "IS" mark for the maker John Saunders. John Saunders was a specialist silver spoonmaker who was apprenticed to Daniel Cary in 1605, gained his freedom in 1612 and by 1614 had taken on Edward Hole as his first apprentice.