Featured Need Help with Demitasse Spoons from Persia (Iran)? Silver Content?

I bought a dozen of these little spoons and I discovered that they have a mark that is in Arabic, I think. So I was wondering about that, where were they made? Also, what is the silver content? There is a little mark that says 10heartsign or 100. The spoons measure 3 7/8" long. They appear to be sterling or some equivalent, based on just handling them. Any help is appreciated, TY!

 

The mark is not Iranian.
It could be Turkish, although I don't recognize the marks inside the crescent as part of a Turkish mark.
If it is indeed a Turkish mark, the spoons were made between 1923 and 1928.

Before 1928 Turkish was written using Arabic script. Many people kept using Arabic script for a few decades after Latin script was introduced.
The crescent moon mark was introduced in 1923. The mark changed to a circle in 1928, went back to a crescent later, but with latin script.

 

Thank you, AJ! Don't the Turks drink strong coffee in little cups? It would make sense for these spoons. Is there any way that the marks tell me what the silver content is?

 

Yes they do, but you don't stir Turkish coffee. It is prepared with sugar, and the coffee grounds are still in it. If you would stir it you would end up with a very gritty mouth.
They drink tea in small glasses.
The way they drink coffee and tea is the same in the Middle East and North Africa.

I can't make sense of the mark. If it is Arabic script the upside down heart shape could be a 5, the 1 could be a 1.
It could be a manufacturer's mark.

 

Just had a thought, maybe Pakistan? Their main language Urdu is also written in Arabic script. I know nothing of Pakistani marks though.

 

Oh, I'll have to remember that if I ever visit Turkey. It's interesting how so many cultures have unique ways in how they prepare and drink coffee and tea. Personally, I'm less interested in ceremonies than I am in what cups and utensils are used.

 

I'm going with silverplate on these. I think if they were sterling or close to it, there would be a mark. Also, there are some scratches that don't polish out and I think I can see base metal. I was interested so I could decide where to sell them. Now they will go to my space at the antique mall. When I offer demitasse sets, I stick a spoon in if I have one. Helps to sell them. Thanks so much for your help, AnyJ!

 

Yes, now that you mention it, I can see a brassy colour around the top in the last photo.

Good idea to have them with demi-tasse sets.

 

I've just made myself a cup of Greek Cypriot coffee, the proper way.

 

We used to drink kopi tubruk, an Indonesian equivalent of the Arabic-related coffees. The beans for kopi tubruk are ground so finely you don't get any gritty grounds. It is made straight in the cup, and you can even stir it.
There has been an influential Hadrami Yemeni community in Indonesia for over 1000 yrs. They adapted to Indonesian life, and their coffee grinding techniques adapted with them.

 

I can get that fine as dust coffee in a local shop - as you say, almost no grounds, but dark as sin. I have a drop of milk and no sugar.

 

Many Dutch Indonesians drink it with milk as well. I am lactose intolerant, so I just grin and bear it.