Silver apostle spoon, R. Scheltens, Groningen, 1890

Silver apostle spoon made by the silversmith R. Scheltens from Groningen. He was active from 1858 to 1889.

The spoon is hallmarked with the first standard mark, year letter F for 1890, Minerva head, master's mark RS2, and the export mark (key).

The spoon also features pseudo hallmarks. This was done to make a 19th-century silver spoon appear to be 18th-century. There was great demand for 18th-century Dutch silver, especially from England. Pseudo hallmarks were used to meet this demand.

Finally, the spoon is hallmarked with English import marks: LL for L. Landsberg, London city mark, import letter, and the first standard mark for sterling silver.

These spoons have now also become antiques.

The spoon has a beautifully decorated stem and is topped with an apostle holding a book and a dolphin.

In good condition.

Weight: 55.9 grams. Length: 19.5 cm.