Stock No. 2153	Queen Anne silver Dognose 'Staple Inn' spoon
	Rare Queen Anne, Britannia Standard, sterling silver Dognose tablespoon of very good weight.. The back of the stem is engraved with the words "Staple Inn" as well as with the Inn's crest of a woolsack. This engraving was probably carried out about 50 years later in around the 1750s. The shape of the end of the stem is what gives the dognose spoon its name. A plain rat-tail joins the stem to the bowl which is much deeper than that of a trefid spoon. The hallmarks are stamped at the base of the stem and comprise the maker's mark, the Lion's head erased and the figure of Britannia (both of which were required during the Britannia Standard period of 1697-1720) and the date mark. Maker :- Jonathan Smith

Condition :-Very good, considering its age. There are a number of little digs and scratches on the spoon, due to use but the shape of the bowl and stem are good and the patina is excellent. The hallmarks on the back of the stem have lost their crispness but are discernible
Hallmarked :- London 1704
Size :- 8.1 inches (20.6 cm) long
Weight :- 2.21 ozt (69 g)
The Dognose, or wavy end spoon, as it is sometimes called, is a transitional form between the trefid and Hanoverian spoon. The first English examples date from the early 1690s, while the last examples were made during the 1720s. The majority of these spoons, however, were made during the Queen Anne period. This spoon, like many Britannia pieces, is heavier than many trefids of similar size, however, the silver is of a higher standard (958 rather than 925) and so the silver is softer. The reason why this spoon is rare is because it belonged to Staple Inn, an Inn of Chancery. Its name and its crest (a woolsack) is said to derive from having been originally an inn or hostel of the merchants of the (wool) staple. Established as a place of study of law in 1378, it's freehold was bought by Gray's Inn in 1529. Each Inn of Court had its own Inns of Chancery who yearly sent them law students for promotion to the status of Inns-of-Court-men. Staple Inn was one of the Inns of Chancery appertaining to Gray's Inn. In the reign of Elizabeth I, there were 145 students in Staple Inn, in term and 69 out of term - the largest number in any of the houses of Chancery. Dr. Samuel Johnson had chambers in this Inn for some time in 1759. The Inn was sold in 1884 and its silver was sold and dispersed. The building still stands to-day and part of it is currently occupied by the Patent Office.

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