Elizabethan Seal-top Spoon, 1579

This silver seal top spoon dates from the mid-Elizabeth I period and bears and a great set of hallmarks for the specialist spoon maker Richard Pinder who was free in 1550 last mentioned in 1579 - maker's mark RP with annulet below. The spoon has a gilt seal terminal with original dot pricked initials “R” over “RE” to the flat terminal plate.

The spoon has an all over-pitted appearance that suggest that it has been buried for a period of time (silver ware was buried in large quantities during the English Civil War to prevent capture, but it often times was not recovered). The bowl tip has been worn to the leading edge so that the fig-shaped bowl has lost a little of its original shape. 

This is an interesting spoon with a great age. The condition has been accounted for in the very compeititve price for a piece of 436 year old silver!