Featured A few silver spoons from the thrift store

Good Morning Everyone,

Quick post to show a nice pair of silver spoons I snagged at the thrift store yesterday. They were among a bag of silverplated spoons, and it took me a few minutes to locate the marks. I think that explains how they made it into the bag, sneaky sneaky little marks!

 

I rather like that the marks don't interfere with the design. I sometimes wonder at how I've come to accept marks in what are rather obnoxious locations on objects.

 

Did you mean locating the marks on the spoons or in a reference? You know the mark is Soviet right?

 

I meant locating them on the spoon, and regarding origin I figured them for Russian.

 

Russian in the sense of Soviet Socialist Republic period (per the hammer and sickle.)

 

I would never have spotted the marks, good catch Mr Nate

 

I'd hope I would have, but might not. Then again even cheap stainless has marks on the back, which ought to have been a clue.

 

I may have assumed stainless too. Now I'll be forced to look at them from now on !

 

Great eye! Once you said they were silver I looked and thought Russian (or Soviet as it were). Had I been in the store I may have taken one look and thought the shape was kind of a danish modern stainless. Unless the tone was more right for silver in person.

 

What a great find!!
I love me some silver spoons!

 

Soviet Estonia - made in 1967 by Tallin Jewelry Factory (Tallinna Juveelitehas)...

~Cheryl

 

You have very sharp eyes @MrNate

Also do you think your eyes + brain is now tuned (due to experience) to try and look for inconspicuous marks.

I had to go back to the pictures to see where it was and it was suddenly very evident but I had not seen it in the first round. Similarly for the previous quiz you ran I missed the mark right in the centre of the bowl.

 

Thank you very much for the question Roshan, I’ll answer by describing my process in the thrift store:

1. I’m always starting with my eyes, and I’m trying to look for any silverware that looks tarnished. Any slight discoloration is worth closer inspection. Of course sometimes I think I’m seeing discoloration that is really just coloration of stainless steel but I quickly see that and move on.

2. Once I see some tarnish I’m immediately flipping the item over looking for obvious marks. 99% of the time I solve the puzzle right there; there’s either some obvious silver or silver plate marks.

3. That leaves me with 1% of the time, no obvious silver or silver plate marks. The first thing I’m doing is slightly bending the piece to feel for flexion. If the silverware is stiff as a board, and not incredibly thick, I’m usually ending my evaluation right there. I’m looking at the back of the spoon/fork to see if there’s nickel plating wear, I’m observing the tarnish closer and I’m hopefully looking for little hidden marks like this. Really I’m looking for any clue to rule in or out the possibility of real silver based on what’s in front of me and my overall experience.

 

...and if you're me, you're seeing a bag of hopefully silverplate walk off with someone else because you got there a minute too late.(sigh)

I have what looked like a coin silver spoon sitting here. Felt thing and nice and springy too. Is it silver? Nope - silverplate brass.(wahht wahhh)