Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-09-17

which came into fashion in tic SIX
tccnth century. IL was III English
custom at that time for sponsors to
give these SPOONS to the children for
whom they made themselves rcspon-
siblc as baptsmal gifts. y wealthy
godparcnt gave IL complete set OF thir-
teen, but Il poor one gcncr:rly content
cd himself with but one. that having
Oh 1t the figure OF the childs patron
saint, to make UP for the lack of the
others. The complete set lad Il Mas
ter spoon and twelve others, the Mus
tor spoon having IL figure OF Christ
on tile handle holding In ono hand the
sphere aud cross, while the other Is
raised in blessing. Each OF the twelve
apostles IS distinguished by some en-
blcm. st. Paul has sword, st. An
drew n cross, st. Peter, of course. n
key, st. Jude II club, st. John cup
(thc cup OF sorrow), and so OH.
Whole sets OF these spoons arc OK
cccslingly rare. 1t is said that but two
complete sets are In existence ut pres
ent. and there is Il third set of eleven.
This is OF great value having an I'm
doubted date OF 1910. while tlS two
others are 1866 or 1857 in one case
and 1926 In the others.
This last set is especially unique I'm
that every spoon in IL was made I'm the
same year ami by the same maker.
The oldest hall marked apostle spoon
that is known is dated 1lo3, that date
being determined Ivy the hall mark OH
the bowl, n shield, with crowned star
in the center.
The value of these old sets of apos-
lie spoons Will he understood when
some or the prices paid for them are
known. One set sold in 1903 for S24.-
900, while another, of less ancient date.
brought $4,000. a single apostle spoon.
bcnring on its handle II figure Of st.
Nicholas ind on the stem the inscriD-
ton. "St. Nicholas, pray for u.s." sold
Ill London some years ago for the I'M
heard OF sum Of $3.I5O. the most cx-
aggcratcd price ever paid for single
spoon SO far us can be nsccrtaincd
The most modern apostle spoon of
which there Is any record bears the
date 1868. 1t is believed Tint aboilt
that period the custom OF giving spoons
MS presents ut baptism began to wa1e.
Other spoons OF interest, though not
of such great antiquity. are The little
"caddy spoons."' which made their an
pcarance when tea drinking became
fashionable more than 300 years ago.
All of these spoons have very short
stems and handles. with bowls OF some
fanciful design. some perforated, bnt
The majority shell shaped and nuted.
y few were made like miniature
scoops, with handles of ebony, and
some others were perfect limitations of
leaves, the handle being formed by the
leaf stem curling around into Il ring.
The hall mark on Il spoon has varied
In position with almost every century
since the first was made. and as this is
ono of the important things In deter
mining the date OF spoon together
with the position of the makers mark.
II is necessary to know what year each
change was made In.
TO within few years after tho
restoration the hall mark was always
oil the inside OF the bowl. while all
other marks We're OH the back of the
handle. But after this all marks were
put on the back OF the handle, near the
bowl end, until the latter part of the
eighteenth century. Then they were
removed to the other cnd Of the handle.
1t was not until the beginning of the
nineteenth century that they were
again put ut the end Of the handle
nearest the bowl, where they now are.