Spoons passed down from grandfather

Hi all my grandfather passed away and we found a spoons set it has 6 spoons and a sugertong looking thing. They are all marked with a&d then after the a&d it looks likes (s) then a (h) . I am just wondering if anyone knows anything about them all I find searching google . the picture file is too big however I have uploaded in gallery

 

Hi again, Tartan! You should be able to use the "Embed Media" icon (the little camera) to attach you Gallery pictures into your post.

 

Thanks so much

 

Hello - according to the 925-1000 silver mark site - this was a silverplate mark belonging to Charles J Allen & Sidney Darwin.

http://www.925-1000.com/silverplate__Init_A.html

EDIT - there is slightly more info on this maker here:

http://www.silvercollection.it/electroplatesilver.html

Quote:

CHARLES JAMES ALLEN
ALLEN & DARWIN
London & Sheffield
Charles James Allen & Sidney Darwin trading as Allen & Darwin. Listed at 7 Hatton Garden, (1893-1894) and 12 Bartlett's Buildings, London (1897-1900). Active at Portland Works, 55 Arundel St, Sheffield (1898-1912). In 1928 the firm was changed to Allen's. The firm was active until 1960.

 

Hey thanks for reply this seems to be what I can find as well but no there information not even a rough date .

 

If the firm was changed to Allen's would that have changed the mark inside to not contain Sydney Darwin ? If so then at least I know it was made pre 1928

 

Unfortunately I don't have any more information about this maker...they may have kept the same mark, or they may have changed it. Hopefully someone with a little more knowledge will stop by here soon

 

Yes, the Charles J Allen mark is different (which you should have been able to see on the previously provided links - but here is the page again http://www.925-1000.com/silverplate_A.html )

Note that the site says Allen & Darwin to 1922 and Charles J Allen their successor began use of his own mark in 1923.

I'm not good at dating English flatware patterns, but if you got a better focused picture of the handle design, one of our UK contributors may have thoughts on when such a pattern might have been produced to help narrow down the date range.

 

Since you have a sugar tong and 6 spoons. I would call it a tea or coffee set.
I can't see the detail of your spoon too well, but it appears to be a late 1800s or early 1900s design.

 

I will upload a clearer picture later on . so would you say this is a set worth keeping as they are really nice or might they hold any value

 

yes it has some value , but not worth keeping unless for the memories of family....i can't remember the last time i used cubed sugar....or ice tongs for that matter...

 

It's silver plate and not sterling. It is not one of the well known makers. It is nice that the set remains intact, that is a plus. However, not necessarily hi value as in hundreds of dollars.

Worth keeping as a family heirloom, because you like them.

 

Not really keeping for family reasons as there is loads of stuff we are keeping if it wouldn't fetch anything I would have kept but even if I can get 20 pound for them I will prob sell

 

If 20 pound equals $25. then I would think you should be able to get that at an estate sale.
In my California store, retail - I would have them priced in the $45 -50 range. $5 a spoon, $8-10 for tongs, plus original box.

 

They won't get as much as that in the UK. I'd expect a tenner for them at most. Silver, they'd be thirty to forty, not a lot more.

 

I have to agree.

 

Where I live, silver plate stuff sits. And sits. and SITS. By the time someone buys it, you almost have to dig it up to remove the dust around it.

 

Mom called these grape shears. Do you think this is Charles James Allen and Sidney Darwin and can anyone help with an approximate year?

 

Yes, that's whose mark this is. http://www.silvercollection.it/electroplatesilver.html#ALLEN

Grape shears sound good to me! Unfortunately, year I cannot say.

Just looked again at the silvercollection entry. The S at the end is for Sheffield. If the info about their Sheffield address from 1898-1912 is the only time they were in that city, then that's as good an estimate of age, as I can give you.