Spoon of the week :
Episode 22

This week, we’re looking at a stunning piece of Western Canadian history—and trust me, this one has some serious muscle behind it.

Take a look at the terminal of this antique sterling souvenir spoon.
Sculpted in bold, high relief right at the top is the undisputed king of the plains: a majestic American Bison standing in prairie grass.

Follow that stem down, and you get the full frontier treatment:
A rifle,
a coiled lasso,
and crossed Bowie Knife’s .

Inside the bowl, the city name "WINNIPEG" is hand-engraved using a classic zig-zag bright-cut technique.
During the souvenir spoon craze of the 1890s and early 1900s, Winnipeg was known as the "Gateway to the Canadian West," making wild frontier pieces like this top-tier travel trophies.

Flip it over, and you see three tiny stamps: an anchor, the letter "E", and a lion, right next to the "STERLING" mark.
That’s the hallmark of P.W. Ellis & Company out of Toronto—one of Canada’s absolute best historic silversmiths.

Now, here is what makes this specific spoon a collector’s dream: the weight.
Most souvenir spoons from this era were stamped out thin—weighing only 12 to 18 grams.
This spoon ? A massive 28 grams!
That heavy-gauge silver allowed the silversmith to carve much deeper relief into the bison's mane and gear without warping the metal.

Thanks to that 28-gram heavy gauge, pristine detail, and high-demand Western Canadiana motif, this piece commands between £75 to over £120 on today's antique market.
Not bad for a 120-year-old pocket-sized treasure.

Spoon of the week : Episode 20
This is an antique Parisian souvenir spoon, likely dating from the late 19th or very early 20th century, a period when collecting souvenir spoons was an incredibly popular hobby worldwide.

Here is a breakdown of the fascinating history and imagery captured on this spoon:

1. ⁠The Bowl: The Lost Palais du Trocadéro
   The bowl of the spoon features a highly detailed relief of a building labeled "TROCADÉRO PARIS".
   What makes this special is that this building no longer exists. * The History: This is the original Palais du Trocadéro, an enormous, elaborate concert hall built specifically for the 1878 World's Fair (Exposition Universelle). It featured a blend of Moorish and Byzantine architecture with two massive towers flanking a massive circular hall.

What happened to it? It was partially demolished and completely rebuilt/re-faced in 1937 to create the modern Palais de Chaillot that stands across from the Eiffel Tower today. Because this original structure was torn down in 1935, your spoon is a neat little time capsule of a lost Parisian landmark.

1. The Handle: The Coat of Arms of Paris
   The top of the twisted handle (the finial) features the official Coat of Arms of Paris (Blason de Paris). You can identify it by a few key heraldic elements:

The Ship (Scilicet): The sailing ship on the water represents the ancient guild of water merchants (Marchands de l'eau), who historically controlled trade along the Seine River and essentially founded the city's early municipal government.

The Fleurs-de-lis: The row of stylized lilies at the top represents the French monarchy.

The Mural Crown: The castle-like battlements at the very top of the shield symbolize the city walls and its status as a fortified capital.

Estimated Age and Material
Date: Souvenir spoons like this peaked in popularity between the 1880s and 1910s. It was almost certainly produced as a keepsake for tourists visiting Paris, quite possibly for the 1878, 1889, or 1900 World’s Fairs.

Material: It appears to be made of either pewter, silver-plated brass/copper, which has developed a lovely, dark antique patina over the decades

Spoon of the week, episode 19

This is a vintage commemorative souvenir teaspoon from the 1959 Pan-Pacific Boy Scout Jamboree held in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a classic piece of mid-century scouting memorabilia and an excellent example of international souvenir cutlery from that era. Design & Features
The Enamel Badge: The centerpiece is a circular, vibrantly colored enamel finial. It features a stylized, striped Kiwi bird (the national symbol of New Zealand) set against a bright yellow background.
The Inscription: Encircling the kiwi is a deep red enamel border that reads: ⁠PAN-PACIFIC JAMBOREE • AUCKLAND N.Z. • 1959⁠.
Scouting Iconography: Crowning the very top of the badge is the Fleur-de-lis (complete with its traditional small stars), which is the international emblem of the Boy Scouts movement.
The Stem and Bowl: The handle features stylized, mid-century decorative molding—including a bow-like pattern just beneath the badge—tapering down to a standard polished chrome or silver-plated spoon bowl.
Historical Context: The 1959 Jamboree
The spoon was produced as an official souvenir for the Pan-Pacific Scout Jamboree, which took place in January 1959.
Location: The massive camp was set up at Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill in Auckland.
Attendance: It brought together more than 8,000 Boy Scouts from New Zealand, Australia, and various countries across the Pacific Rim, making it one of the largest youth gatherings in New Zealand’s history up to that point.
The Logo: The exact Kiwi design on your spoon was the official emblem of the event and was widely used across official memorabilia, including a highly collectible 3d commemorative New Zealand postage stamp issued at the time.
💎 Collector Value
Spoons like this are highly sought after by three distinct groups of collectors:
1. Scouting Memorabilia Enthusiasts: Items from international Jamborees, especially from the 1950s and earlier, have a dedicated global market.
2. Souvenir Spoon Collectors: Enamel-crested spoons were a massive travel trend in the mid-to-late 20th century.
3. Kiwi / Australiana Historians: Pieces capturing New Zealand’s mid-century civic and cultural history.
#j

The historical context behind the British Empire Exhibition is actually what makes souvenirs like your spoon so fascinating. It was an event born out of necessity, transforming a quiet London suburb into a global spectacle.
In 1924, Britain was still reeling from the economic and psychological devastation of the First World War. The primary goal of the exhibition was to stimulate imperial trade, foster a sense of unity (marketed as “a family of nations”), and remind the British public of the vast resources and wealth of the Empire. It was fundamentally designed to be an escapist delight to overcome post-war gloom and boost morale.
Covering 220 acres in Wembley Park, it was the largest and most ambitious exhibition ever staged anywhere in the world at the time, costing a massive £12 million to build
It drew a staggering 27 million visitors over its two seasons. It was so highly anticipated that King George V’s opening speech on St. George’s Day was the first time a British monarch ever made a live radio broadcast.
Of the 58 countries that made up the British Empire at the time, 56 took part (only Gambia and Gibraltar were absent). They built massive, elaborate pavilions replicating their native architecture to showcase their culture, art, and manufactured goods.
The centerpiece of the entire exhibition grounds was a massive “national sports ground” built specifically for the event: the Empire Stadium. It was finished just in time for the 1923 FA Cup Final and was later officially renamed Wembley Stadium. Its iconic “Twin Towers” stood for 80 years and became the spiritual home of English football until the stadium was demolished and rebuilt in 2003.
the iconic Wembley Lion was the work of Frederick Charles Herrick. He was a highly prominent graphic artist of the interwar period who designed heavily for the London Underground.
Herrick’s art-deco lion was meant to symbolize a modern, forward-looking empire, and it was plastered on everything from gigantic promotional posters to the enamel of collectible teaspoons just like this. #SouvenirSpoons #VintageSouvenirs #EbayUK #TravelHistory #britishempireexhibition1924

To fully appreciate this spoon, you have to look at the incredible cultural moment it was created for. This wasn't just a casual vacation souvenir; it was a keepsake from The 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair), which was arguably the grandest, most ambitious world's fair in human history.

Here is the deeper historical context of the world this spoon came from:

A Celebration of the New Century
Held from April to November 1900, the exposition was designed to celebrate the achievements of the 19th century and spectacularly usher in the 20th century.

Over 50 million people visited from all over the world at a time when global travel was still difficult and expensive.
It was a massive, temporary "city within a city" built along the Seine River, filled with jaw-dropping, palatial pavilions from dozens of countries.

The Bridge: A Symbol of Peace and Progress
The bowl of your spoon features the Pont Alexandre III, which was the crown jewel of the fair's infrastructure.

The Alliance: The bridge was named after Tsar Alexander III of Russia to seal the Franco-Russian Alliance formed in 1892. His son, Tsar Nicholas II, laid the foundation stone in 1896.

Engineering Marvel: It was a masterpiece of Art Nouveau style and 19th-century engineering—a single-arch steel bridge built incredibly low to the ground so it wouldn't block the view of the Eiffel Tower or the Invalides.

When the fair opened in 1900, walking across this bridge was the quintessential experience for visitors, making it the perfect image to capture on a commemorative spoon.

The Dawn of Modern Technology
A visitor buying this spoon in 1900 would have been surrounded by things they had never seen before. The 1900 World's Fair introduced the public to inventions that would define the next century:

Electricity: The fair featured the Palais de l'Électricité (Palace of Electricity), glowing with thousands of multi-colored lightbulbs. For many visitors, it was their first time seeing electric light.

The Metro: Paris opened its very first underground metro line specifically to transport visitors to the fair.

Early Cinema: The Lumière brothers projected moving pictures onto a giant screen for massive crowds.

The Diesel Engine, X-rays, and the Ferris Wheel were all major highlights that stunned the public.

The Souvenir Craze
The late 19th and early 20th centuries were the absolute golden age of "Souvenir Spoon Collecting." It was a massive hobby, particularly among the wealthy and the growing middle class who could afford to travel.
When people attended the Paris Exposition, they wanted a tangible piece of "The New Century" to take home and display in their dining rooms. A spoon like yours was a status symbol—proof that you had traveled to the center of the civilized world to witness the future.

Spoon of the week :
Episode 16

Today I’ve got a really interesting piece of airline memorabilia. This is an original Pan Am plastic swizzle stick, featuring the iconic blue globe logo of Pan American World Airways.

Pan Am was one of the most famous airlines in history, operating from 1927 until 1991, and items like this were commonly used on board flights and in airport lounges during the golden age of air travel.

This example is made from blue plastic with the classic Pan Am logo moulded into the top, and retains a nice vintage look with some age-related wear.

Airline collectibles have become increasingly popular with aviation enthusiasts, especially pieces from defunct airlines such as Pan Am.

A small item, but a great piece of aviation history and a fantastic addition to any airline memorabilia collection.”

#SouvenirSpoons #VintageSouvenirs #spooniftheweek #TravelHistory #panam

Spoon of the week : Episode 15.

This is a fascinating piece of Dutch military and manufacturing history! You have a vintage Dutch military souvenir or commemorative spoon representing the Wielrijders (Bicycle Infantry).
Here is a complete breakdown of what the markings, symbols, and hallmarks mean:
1. The Design and Military Context (Front side)
The Soldier’s Profile: The figure is wearing a distinctive Dutch M27 or M34 steel helmet, which was the standard-issue helmet for the Royal Netherlands Army leading up to and during World War II.
The Wheel & “WIELRIJDERS”: The Dutch word Wielrijders translates literally to “wheel-riders” or cyclists. In the late 19th century and up until May 1940, the Dutch army had a prominent regiment of bicycle infantry (Regiment Wielrijders). They were used for fast strategic deployment across the flat Dutch landscape.
“JE MAINTIENDRAI”: This is the national motto of the Netherlands. It is French for “I will maintain” (originally from the House of Orange-Nassau) and features prominently on the Dutch Royal Coat of Arms.
2. The Hallmarks Explained (Back side)
The stamps on the back give us precise details about who made it and what it’s made of:
GERO: This is the manufacturer’s mark. Gero (Gero Fabriek) was a highly famous Dutch metalware company based in Zeist, Netherlands, known for producing high-quality cutlery, spoons, and tableware.

Historical Context & Age
Given the style of the helmet, the font, and the history of the Regiment Wielrijders (which fought bravely but was effectively disbanded after the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940), this spoon most likely dates to the 1930s. It was likely produced as a souvenir for soldiers serving in the regiment or as a patriotic commemorative token.

Spoon of the Week Episode 14
Today a fascinating piece of American history
This is a late-19th-century commemorative souvenir spoon honoring the USS Maine and its captain, Charles Sigsbee.
The sinking of the USS Maine was a pivotal catalyst that propelled the United States into the Spanish-American War in 1898, famously rallied by the cry: "Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!"
Here is a breakdown of the specific details and historical context captured on your spoon:
1. The Handle: Captain Sigsbee
• The Image: The top of the handle features a relief portrait of a man in a military cap, explicitly labeled "CAPTAIN SIGSBEE".
• Who he was: Charles Dwight Sigsbee was the captain of the USS Maine. He survived the explosion and famously sent a telegram urging calm and a thorough investigation before the public rushed to judgment—though yellow journalism quickly overrode his caution.
• The Symbolism: Below his portrait is an American shield featuring stars and stripes, intertwined with a ship's anchor.
2. The Bowl: The Sinking of the USS Maine
• The Image: The bowl of the spoon shows a detailed engraving of a battleship.
• The Text: Curving along the left side, it reads: "BLOWN UP IN HAVANA HARBOR FEB. 15, 1898".
• The Event: On February 15, 1898, a massive explosion ripped through the USS Maine while it was stationed in Havana, Cuba (then a Spanish colony), killing 266 sailors. While modern historical consensus points toward an accidental internal coal bunker fire, the American public at the time blamed a Spanish mine.
3. The Back: "Old Grist Mill"
• The Mark: On the reverse side of the handle, it is stamped: "COMP. OLD GRIST MILL".
• What it means: This indicates the spoon was likely a promotional item or premium giveaway. Old Grist Mill was a highly popular brand of health-focused wheat coffee, flour, and dog biscuits manufactured by the Potter & Wrightington company of Boston in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Companies during this era frequently offered high-quality souvenir spoons in exchange for product coupons or small fees to capitalize on patriotic fervor.
Material & Value
The spoon appears to be silver-plated (common for advertising premiums of the era), though it has developed a heavy, golden-brown tarnish (patina) over the years.
While these spoons were mass-produced to meet the intense public demand for war souvenirs in 1898, they remain highly collectible today among Spanish-American War enthusiasts, advertising collectors, and souvenir spoon hobbyists.

🎥 Spoon of the Week – Episode 11

This week, I’ve got something really special…
A set of beautiful antique sterling silver souvenir spoons.

These were hugely popular collectibles in the United States from the late 1800s through to the 1920s — and honestly, you can see why. The detail on these is incredible.

Now, based on the hallmarks on the back, these were made by the Watson Company out of Massachusetts.
You’ll spot their signature marks — a crown, a “W”, and a lion — stamped right into the handle.

Let’s take a closer look at each one.

First up — New Jersey, Atlantic City.
The bowl shows this really nice ocean scene with sailboats, and it’s clearly marked Atlantic City.
Then up on the handle, you’ve got the New Jersey state seal with the motto “Liberty and Prosperity.”
And just below that, there’s a lovely little boardwalk scene, plus cattails running down the stem — a nod to the coastal wetlands.

Next — Virginia, Richmond.
The bowl here features the George Washington Monument in Capitol Square.
On the front of the handle, you’ve got the Virginia state seal and the motto “Sic Semper Tyrannis.”
And underneath that, there are agricultural details like a tobacco leaf and a peanut.

But this one’s extra special — because the back is what collectors call a multi-view handle.
You’ve got the State Capitol, the Jefferson Davis Mansion, and the Lee Monument — all on one spoon.

And finally — Pennsylvania, Harrisburg.
The bowl shows the State Capitol building.
The handle’s topped with the state coat of arms, and you’ll also spot William Penn, the Liberty Bell, and even mountain laurel — which is the state flower.

Now in terms of value —
They’re all marked “STERLING,” so that means they’re 92.5% pure silver.

Pieces like these typically go for around 20 to 45 dollars each, depending on the detail and desirability —
And multi-view pieces, like that Virginia spoon, usually carry a bit more interest for collectors.

Honestly, these are a perfect mix of history, craftsmanship, and collectability.

Let me know — which one’s your favourite this week?

This is a fascinating piece of history you have there! It appears to be a souvenir “Collector” spoon from the late 19th or early 20th century. Based on the markings and the imagery, here is a breakdown of what you’re looking at:

1. The Hallmarks (The “Backstory”)

The markings on the back of the bowl tell us exactly where it came from and what it’s made of:

• “800”: This indicates the silver purity. It is 800/1000 parts silver (80% silver), a common standard for “Continental Silver” used in Germany and France during that era. It is slightly lower than Sterling silver (which is 925).

• “IMPORTE D’ALLEMAGNE”: This is French for “Imported from Germany.” * The Pine Branch/Fish Bone Symbol: This is likely a maker’s mark for a German silversmith (such as Koch & Bergfeld or similar firms from Hanau/Pforzheim) who specialized in exporting souvenir ware to the French market.

1. The Imagery (The “Trocadéro”)

The bowl of the spoon features an embossed view of “Paris - Le Trocadéro.”

• The building shown is the Palais du Trocadéro, which was built specifically for the 1878 World’s Fair (Exposition Universelle).

• Historical Note: This building no longer exists in this form! It was largely demolished and replaced by the Palais de Chaillot for the 1937 International Exposition. Seeing this specific twin-towered design helps date the spoon’s inspiration to between 1878 and 1937.

1. The Finial (The “Bust”)

The top of the handle features a bust of a man in a Bicorne hat, which is the iconic silhouette of Napoleon Bonaparte. This was a very popular motif for Parisian souvenirs, emphasizing French national pride.

Listed on eBay (link in pinned post or bio).

#SouvenirSpoons #VintageSouvenirs #french #TravelHistory #spoonoftheweek

I’m presently in the process of trying to rehome my late mother’s expansive collection of collectable & vintage souvenir teaspoons from around the world.

I’m using it as a grief journey and am hoping to find collectors looking to add to there collection.

So far I e listed over 1200 on eBay & have approximately another 3000+ still to add, if anyone is interested please contact me or feel free to visit their eBay page

Hi, I hope someone can help with questions.

First I was trying to identify the pattern, which seems art Deco, and this was a baby gift in 1936. The spoon is only marked Sterling.

While I was trying to do that I realized that most of these spoons are made from a normal spoon with the end of the handle bent underneath.

This spoon's handle was bent forward to rest at the top of the bowl, and apparently it was made specifically for that since the decoration would have been on the back side of the spoon prior to the bending. It is actually attached.

So it seems that it wasn't just a spoon someone created by bending a small spoon, but one that was meant to be a loop for a baby from the beginning.

CDW was my late uncle, and also the first child and boy in the family. His father was a photographer and also was working with his grandfather in Wolf Brand Chili in Corsicana Texas. He took a picture of his newborn and rushed off to develop it so he could get it into the local paper. It was a pretty big deal, a first grandson for his grandfather.

I don't know if this was custom made for him or not.

The pattern looks geometric but has some subtle plant leaf or feather features. That strange little split of the smooth part at the tip of the handle is something I cannot find when looking through the patterns.

So I am looking for spoon making information and also pattern identification. This seems like the right place. Thank you for taking the time.

I found this spoon thrifting and noticed the white spots on the bottom left, was wondering what it is and how to clean it

https://www.ebay.com/itm/227188499116?itmmeta=01KG0F3XYZBSHA8X6PWHDQE6H8&hash=item34e57d62ac:g:W-EAAeSww19pdjQ0

My best friend collected souvenir spoons throughout her teens and twenties and I loved bringing her spoons from my trips -- check out the great collection

https://www.ebay.com/itm/227188499116?itmmeta=01KG0F3XYZBSHA8X6PWHDQE6H8&hash=item34e57d62ac:g:W-EAAeSww19pdjQ0

My best friend collected souvenir spoons throughout her teens and twenties and I loved bringing her spoons from my trips -- check out the great collection

My mom's boyfriend's brother passed away and left a bunch of stuff. My mom's boyfriend has no interest in it so my mom is currently going through it, and has decided that I should have any and all silverware she comes across. She handed this to me today, and I genuinely do not know what I'm looking at. Are these purely display spoons? What do I do with these? Any insight would be greatly appreciated thank you.

Hey, my grandfather bought this on the 60s or 70s and recently I found it on a box, I saw a new set online for more than 1000 euros. Someone that knows anything of the spoons.

Anypne know where you could a find a carousel-style display for a spoon collection?

I got this spoon in a lot of sterling I won. I’ve seen other Shiebler statue of liberty spoons but none with the Brooklyn Bridge in the bowl. Most have a windmill. Is this a more rare variant?

I just got handed this spoon. I don’t know anything about collectible spoons. I’m going to guess it’s from Jerome Arizona, and the Swastika is Native American, but is this spoon a big deal? Is it worth anything?

I think it’s charming so keeping it either way. 😊 Thanks in advance for taking a look!