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How to Get the Value of Antique Spoons

It's a thrill to stumble across a beautiful -- and possibly valuable -- antique. Maybe you were browsing at an estate sale and opened up an old shoebox to find a silver spoon. It's tarnished, it's shaped oddly, and it looks old. But an accurate valuation will depend on factors such as its age and provenance, its rarity and who made it. While only an appraiser can give you a reliable assessment, you can get some idea of your spoon's value by looking for certain things.

Instructions

- 1
  Look for a hallmark or maker's mark. If your spoon is made of silver, there will be a mark reading "sterling" if it was made in America. If it was made in Europe, there will be a tiny lion to denote that the silver spoon was made in England, or possibly a "925" if it was made in other European countries. There may also be a silversmith's mark to identify the spoon's maker. Such marks are readily available in searchable online catalogs.
- 2
  Assess the shape of your spoon to get a general idea of its age. The shape of spoons evolved over time. Antique spoon bowls tended to be round- or oyster-shaped before they morphed into the standardized egg-shaped spoons of today. An unusual design may also help date the spoon and help you place its value. For example, a moustache spoon with a small bar across the bowl was used by Victorian men to protect their moustaches while eating soup, according to the Antique Silver website.
- 3
  Study the different types of spoons. Sterling silver souvenir spoons, often sold to tourists, are generally worth less than $50, according to the Spoon Planet website. Silver-plated souvenir spoons sell from $1 to $15. However, antique "Apostle spoons," which were used in Christian baptisms, are highly collectible and can be valued as high as $10,000 for especially fine examples.
- 4
  Look for engraving. Personal engraving that gives a sense of who the former owner was adds to the value of an antique spoon. If you can document who owned the spoon, this may also add to its value, especially if the owner was a person of historical interest.

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