450-Year-Old Tudor Silver Spoon to Be Auctioned in London

A 450-year-old silver spoon, created during the reign of Elizabeth I, is scheduled for auction at Roseberys in London on September 30. This Tudor artifact, made by Chester goldsmith John Lingley I, is anticipated to fetch between £2,000 and £3,000.

Believed to be one of the earliest surviving Chester silver spoons, the piece dates back to approximately 1575. The auctioneers noted that the only similarly early example is a spoon from around 1580 by William Mutton, housed in the Grosvenor Museum in Chester. The current owner purchased the spoon at auction in 1991.

Georgina Agnew from Roseberys highlighted the spoon's significance as a vital piece of Chester's history, emphasizing its rarity and importance as a survivor from an Elizabethan city known for its trade and craftsmanship. The spoon has also been featured in notable publications on Chester silver.