Stock No. 2403	Victorian small silver condiment or oyster fork
Charming tiny Victorian fiddle pattern sterling silver fork. London1841. The maker's mark is partially mis-struck, due perhaps to the fact that it is overstriking another mark and therefore is rather difficult to decipher. The first letter can clearly be seen to be an L but the second letter is very indistinct, although an S can be seen. The end of the fiddle pattern handle is engraved with a family crest of a winged wild fowl with a serpent's tail, facing left. Beneath are engraved the original owner's initials, H R H, in gothic style. The full set of hallmarks and the maker's mark are struck on the reverse of the handle.

Condition :-Very good condition with clear hallmarks but a slightly mis-struck maker's mark
Hallmarked :- London 1841
Size :- 4.3 inches (10.9 cm) long
Weight :- 0.34 ozt (10.7 g)
This is a delightful looking little fork and could have had a number of uses. It could certainly be used as an oyster fork, even though the four tines are all the same width. It would make an extremely useful butter fork or a general purpose condiment fork for picking up small items. The fact that the original maker's mark has been overstruck by another maker is not to this item's detriment. Overstriking was a known although not very prevalent practice on small items in the first half of the nineteenth century as well as in the late eighteenth century.

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