I recently acquired an important early 18th century wavy-end bronze spoon mold at auction. The mold is engraved with a royal portrait on the top and a fanciful scroll pattern on the underside of the bowl.
Initially I thought it was of Queen Anne, but I’ve been talking with several pewter scholars recently and the consensus is it’s probably not a portrait of Queen Anne, but rather an earlier portrait of William III. This is William III, of William & Mary fame. Wow! Mary died in 1694. The mold was most likely produced/made in Boston circa 1694-1702.
Only a handful of these kinds of molds exist today, so they are as scarce as the proverbial hen’s teeth. I am indeed fortunate to have landed this wonderful mold. The overall spoon length is 7.25″ —Finished spoons sell for $20. This makes for a great soup spoon!