2.5 inch spoon with 800 mark Russian? (identification)

Hello fellow Antiquers,

Trying to identify this little spoon, and its purpose. For salt, medicinal powders, snuff? I included it next to a picture of a modern teaspoon for comparison. It looks like it says 800 near the finial but its hard to tell. Possibly 825 or even some other number.

Thanks in advance!

 

800 could be German. I have seen that design on the finial before, but can't remember where. @DragonflyWink may know.

 

Older Russian silver items are not marked with the decimal fineness levels of other European countries. Next to the 800 there is another punch that looks like something & Co. Which would also be unlikely on Russian item of any age.

Let me provide a link to a reliable page of information so you can appreciate what I'm saying.

From 925-1000.com
https://www.925-1000.com/Frussia.html

 

oh shoot what a keen eye you have Bakersgma! I did not even notice that punch next to the 800 number. Ill see if I can get a better photograph of that and check your url...thank you to all!

 

My eyes are not that good, but using magnification on the page helped a lot!

 

I couldn't see the second mark either. Maybe Italian?

 

It's not in the modern Italian cartouche, and the "& Co." is in English not Italian. So I have no idea.

 

The .800 salt spoon is mid 20th century Italian, the construction and pointy oval bowl is a typical - they can be found singly and and in sets with finials from different Italian cities - those like yours were often with glass single or double salts with matching silver frames or mounts (somewhere in the packed away silver, have similar).

~Cheryl

 

Thanks for straightening me out, Cheryl. I had to make the image even bigger than before but sure enough it's the right shape for Italian 20th century. Still can't see the entire contents there, but it's not &Co.

 

Thank you so much ladies. It is fascinating learning from you. Im thrilled to learn it is an Italian mid 20th century salt spoon. Even with a 10x magnifying glass with the light on I still cant see what that says in the other punch. It actually looks like it might be another number like 826 but not sure. Theres some gunk in there too which obscures it more. Alas, you have answered the big questions!!! Thank you.

 

Should be numbers and letters, see here (looks like the #11 form mark, 1944-68):

http://www.silvercollection.it/italianhallmarks.html

~Cheryl

 

Ok thank you again. I think time has obscured any hallmark that looks like these but its good to know what it once looked like, most appreciated. I would have never guessed this spoon was this modern.