Burnell and Rowe

Description

This is a good pair of George IV Sterling Silver Serving Spoons in the classic Fiddle pattern. The spoons are made in Newcastle by Reid & Son and date to 1821. There were at least three generations of Reid family silversmiths in Newcastle Upon Tyne throughout the 19th century, all of them specialist spoon makers. This pair of spoons were made by father and son team Christian Ker Reid and David Reid.

Newcastle has a long history of silversmithing going back to the Middle Ages but the assay office wasn't established until 1702, a clerical error having missed the city name from the 1701 Act of Parliament that established other provincial assay offices! The office was closed in 1884 making Newcastle assay marks much rarer than the main offices like London, Birmingham & Sheffield and very sought after by collectors.

These serving spoons are well made pieces in a good gauge of silver. They have the initials "JAS" elegantly engraved at the top of the stem. They are perfectly usable today or would make a good addition to any collection.

Whilst the spoons have definitely seen some use in the last 200 years they remain in good overall condition with no splits and just a couple of minor dings in the bowls, which is only to be expected after this length of service. Please make sure to view all the photographs.

Each spoon is 22.4cm / 8.9" long and the pair together weigh a substantial 129.1g / 4.55oz of solid Sterling Silver.

The hallmarks on the underside of the stems are a little rubbed but still easy to read. They show the lion passant for Sterling Silver, the three towers assay mark for Newcastle, the date letter "G" for 1821, the George III duty mark (Newcastle used the George III mark throughout the reign of George IV and virtually all of William IV) and the CR over DR makers' mark for Christian Ker Reid and David Reid of Reid & Son.

Shipping in the UK is £11 by Royal Mail Special Delivery Parcel Post, which includes cover for the value of the spoons.
Overseas customers please ask us about shipping costs to your country before making a purchase.