Posted 12 years ago
everwhale
(1 item)
I purchased this sterling spoon today because I like the pattern and details it carries. It marks “Sterling, Mermod & Jaccard Jewelry Co”. I believe that it is more than 100 years old, made in Saint Louis. I got several questions regarding it, and will really appreciate it if somebody can give me some clues.
1) The pattern seems a kind of coats of arms without a shield ( 2 lions with lily) , is it? Anybody can identify this pattern?
2) It seems to me that there is a monogram removal, since there is a smooth step-down on the right side of the “Jewelry Co” marks. But I am not sure.
3) There are 3 signs on the left side of the “sterling ” mark. At middle is a clover leave; a British pound sign is at right; another is unrecognizable. Are they town marks, date codes, tax stamps, or a maker’s signature?
This is definitely a bon bon spoon. I was unable to find a comparable spoon back in my search. I doubt there was a monogram on the back because but you'll notice there is a monogram area on the front. The heavier area on the handle where the marks are may have been designed to accept the hand stamping which would have otherwise distorted the metal. And those marks are most likely company symbols and have nothing to do with hallmarks.
silversmith, thank you for the info! I found your website years ago and got a lot of useful information from there. Thank you.