A HENRY IV SILVER DIAMOND-POINT SPOON

Following the introduction of the leopard's head mark in 1300 the next mark to be come into force was the maker's mark. While this was first instituted in 1363, with the decree that '.... every master goldsmith should have a mark of his own, known to those appointed to the King to survey their work' (ed. I. Pickford, Jackson's Silver and Gold Marks', Woodbridge, 1989, p. 37) the earliest maker's mark yet to be recorded is that stamped on this spoon.

The leopard's head which is struck into the bowl of this spoon is called 'African' by Commander and Mrs. How and described as 'Low forehead, generally spiked: wide open grinning mouth. Letter incorporated over, or in lieu of tongue....' It is the penultimate of the pre-introduction of date letter series of leopard's heads which they date to 1462-circa 1475 (How, op. cit, vol. III, p. 56).

DIAMOND POINT SPOONS

Diamond point spoons, so called for the facetted shape of their finial, which How suggests (op. cit. vol. I, p. 161) is based on the prick or goad spur which was common in the 13th century, were first made at the end of the 13th century, eventually replacing the acorn as the most common form. The earliest example with full London marks is believed to date from 1493 but examples are known with several versions of the early Leopard head mark. A set of 'ii dozen and vi spoyns with dyamond poyntes' are recorded in the will of a Richard Morton of 1487 and cited by Timothy Kent in his introduction to The Benson Collection of Early Silver Spoons, p. 3.