How much is this Civil War spoon worth?

Q. This is a single Civil War spoon I recently bought. It is as large as a soup spoon of today. I would appreciate it if you could tell me the manufacturer and the value.

A. The spoon has been around for a very long time. Its origins can probably be traced back to shells picked up on the seashore and used for dipping food and ladling it into the mouth or wood chips picked up on the forest floor that served the same purpose.

The Greek and Latin words for “spoon” were both derived from the word for “shell,” and the Anglo-Saxon word for this implement was derived from “spon,” meaning a chip of wood. Later spoons were made from silver, gold, ivory, bronze, bone and rock crystal (quartz), among other things.

Spoons have been around since the time of primitive man, but the spoon in today's question is much younger than you had hoped.

The first hint as to age and origins is the mark of a flag with the initial “H” found on the back of the spoon. This is the mark of the Watson Co. of Attleboro, Mass., which traces its roots back to Cobb, Gould and Co., which began working in 1874, almost 10 years after the end of the Civil War.

Clarence Watson and Fred Newell took over the business in 1880 (it became known as the Watson Co. in 1919). Initially, this partnership made jewelry, but eventually it focused on the manufacture of souvenir spoons such as the one in today's question.

Starting about 1900, the Watson, Newell Co. began making flatware, and in 1905 introduced a pattern named “Wild Rose.” This is the basic design for the souvenir spoon pictured here.

In the early years, Watson used the teaspoon, demitasse and 5 o'clock spoon from a number of its patterns as jumping-off points for making souvenir items, which were popular at the time. For example, the “Lily” pattern might have a stamped-in design of “The Government Building and Post Office, Chicago.”

Other pieces might have just the name of a city, such as St. Joseph, Mo., engraved in the bowl, and on occasion, the name of the recipient might be engraved at the top of the handle. Very rarely a spoon decorated with enamel will turn up, and these are treasured by collectors — unless they happen to be the very modern ones (post-World War II) that were made in mass quantities, mainly for European and Canadian locations.

This spoon with its lovely green enamel bowl with the enamel representation of a Union soldier and a Confederate soldier shaking hands with the motto “United We Stand Divided We Fall” was made to be sold in Kentucky (as evidenced by the “KY” at the feet of the soldiers).

We believe this is a circa-1910 teaspoon, and it has an insurance value of between $125 and $150. If, however, it is a significantly larger spoon, it would be much rarer and the value could double or even triple.

Ÿ Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 18350, Knoxville, TN 37928.