Silverware is a proven and reliable way of investing free funds with benefits at the same time! You enjoy and use silver spoons and forks every day, and their value only goes up. What more could you want ?!

cutlery, Northern Niello, silver gilding niello

But of course we treat them with care, we don’t need to bend (by the way, one of the barbaric products is far from convincing: bends - silver, breaks - alloys, I do not recommend "checking" like that), there is absolutely no need to scrub the silverware with abrasive materials. How carefully you can read on the site, recipes are constantly updated.
Why investing in silver and specifically in cutlery is good, besides the fact that it can be used in everyday life? - Firstly, you can bribe gradually missing silver spoons or forks, constantly expanding the collection. Painless for the wallet and family budget, you will have a complete set of silver cutlery.
Secondly, hint to friends and relatives, work colleagues that you are carried away by collecting table silver of a certain brand or ornament, perhaps the choice fell on a country or a time period - and then on holidays they will not have the torment of what to give you.

teapot, silver Spain early 20th century

Silver, and especially the dining room, is an ideal salvation and a chic gift when you do not know what to give from the team to the leader or chief for an anniversary, what to give to your beloved parents for silver wedding, or friends for a celebration. An ordinary souvenir or a bouquet of flowers will no longer save you here. A serious gift will always be appreciated and your attention will be greatly appreciated.
Which one to choose? Which silver is better to buy? - It's up to you to decide, but note that if you take it schematically, from greatest to worst, then it looks something like this: old Russian silver famous masters with stamps with enamels in niello engraved - silver of the Soviet period with enamels in niello with engraving - table Soviet branded silver - ancient Russian primitive silver (so-called "oars") - euro-silver with enamels - euro-silver - silvering.
Let's consider in more detail silverware for investment, it is better to choose those items, markings and brands on the cutlery of which are at least known.
Give preference complete sets and complete silver sets.
In the event that finances do not allow you to roam too much, clearly define yourself what exactly you will buy, step by step moving towards a full set.

Silver coffee pair with porcelain insert

What must be considered? - silver is too thermally conductive, which means a silver teapot necessarily should be with insulators for the handle (most often these are wood or bone inserts). If there is no insulator, you will not even be able to pick up such a kettle!
It is for the same reason that a tea or coffee pair must have a porcelain insert! You cannot take a cup in your hand, much less touch your lips to it without porcelain inside, it will serve as an insulator. Sometimes such a pair (a cup - a cup holder and a saucer) is called armuda.

cup holder silver Kubachi

In our classic Russian presentation, a silver cup holder is very often a collectible and is great to give. Popular and practical are the Kubachi silver gilded coasters with crystal glasses.
All purchases and gifts made of silver are wonderful, of course, but we are talking about investing in silver, which means you always need to think about where and how much you can quickly and profitably sell silverware. And then you run through the pawnshops with your spoons, drag the tableware around antique shops or flea markets - it will become clear that selling silver is expensive (and this is what we initially strive for when buying silver) - very troublesome.
If you have already run over - write through the feedback form - we will help you sell or buy out silverware (spoons, forks, sets, cutlery, sets).

Sale of antique silverware 19-20 century

A large and bright dining room with a huge table, a snow-white tablecloth with hand embroidery, crystal, porcelain plates and certainly silver family cutlery ...
Many of us, ordinary Siberian girls, can boast of such a reception? And if the tablecloth, crystal and plates can still be inherited from the grandmother, then with silver, alas, cupronickel is our everything!

Since ancient times, all alchemists have been struggling to find out how to make gold from available chemical elements (or an alloy similar to it to fool those around them), but they still fail to do this trick, not like cupronickel!
Cupronickel is called table silver for a reason - it is just as beautiful (with proper care) and has a noble deep silver luster, but cupronickel does not contain a single gram of silver!
Let's figure out what it is. Cupronickel is an alloy of copper (70-80%) and zinc (30-20%) with a small content of nickel, manganese and iron; it got its name in honor of its French inventors, Maillot and Chorier. In Russian, these surnames sound like Mayo and Chorier, but the French name Maillot-Chorier in German was distorted into Melchior, and then spread in Russian and stuck.
A variety of cutlery, jewelry and interior items are made from the alloy, coins are minted and even surgical instruments are cast.
Compared to silver, cupronickel has greater wear resistance and mechanical strength, is almost not subject to corrosion (even in the construction of submarines!) And, at the same time, the alloy is ductile and lends itself well to processing - stamping, cutting, embossing both in cold and in hot, excellent polishing and soldering - definitely a godsend!
It is logical that with the opening of this on the right, its production spread to almost all countries, since now it has become available to "eat from a silver spoon."
Historians say that the peak of the popularity of cupronickel in Russia fell on tsarist times, when such devices were in particular honor among the middle class. In high society, cupronickel was not recognized and was called "the silver of the poor."

I think that many have carefully stored cupronickel spoons and forks in their closets - in special cardboard boxes on a velvet or silk substrate. It was customary to get such devices on a special occasion, on big holidays and significant events.
And someone decided to arrange a holiday for themselves every day and used cupronickel forks / spoons every day.
And as a result, each hostess (sooner or later) faced a problem - how to clean cupronickel, which darkened with time?
Relatively speaking, cupronickel does not react well in aggressive environments, therefore, in order to darken to blackness, it must either lie idle for several years, or must be used both in a feast and in the world.
Upon contact with certain substances, the alloy can form dark oxides.
For example, ordinary clean water is detrimental to the appearance of a cupronickel spoon or fork - even the smallest droplet that has dried naturally will leave a dark speck on the surface (therefore, the golden rule, which I remembered since childhood, is that ceremonial cupronickel spoons must be wiped off immediately after washing and dry!). Darkening can also be caused by unwashed food or grease residues clogged in a fine pattern on the surface.

For decades, housewives fought with darkened cupronickel with tooth powder and a brush, sometimes soda was used instead of powder, But hard particles scratch the metal, and the surface becomes covered with micro-defects, in which water and food debris are retained - it turns out vicious circle- the more we take care of cupronickel with the help of tooth powder or soda, the faster the devices darken ((
My mother, I remember, kept a terrible value in the cabinet - a bottle of liquid for cleaning cupronickel and silver, and a couple of times a year arranged general care for the appearance of our ceremonial set of cutlery.
I also heard options with wiping cupronickel with ammonia (fu-fu-fu) or placing darkened appliances in potato broth (i.e., when cooking potatoes, you should always keep in mind whether or not to drain the water into the sewer).

But there is a really magical way, after which even the most terrible cupronickel spoon, lying in god knows what kind of dirt, will sparkle like new in a couple of minutes!
Soda, salt, a drop of faerie to dissolve fat, and a piece of ordinary foil!

Come on, do you know this method? It seems to me that everyone has already read about him!)))

1. We take any suitable container - it doesn't matter, plastic, glass, metal, a large saucepan, a basin or a capacious container.
2. At the bottom we put a piece of ordinary aluminum foil.
3.Pour baking soda and a little less table salt from the heart and from the volume of the darkened dishes.
4.Fill with boiling water.
5. We place cupronickel (or silver) products in this solution for 5 minutes.

If the dishes are not completely covered with water - you can directly observe the cleaning process “live” - the parts in the water become bright before our eyes! In order for large items to be completely cleaned, they will need to be turned over several times and the dirty sides must be placed in this tricky solution. Well, to remove already clean objects from a hot solution, use tongs and generally work with gloves!

Clean cupronickel (and silver) items must be rinsed under running water, wiped dry and dried at room conditions.

To make the difference obvious, I'll show you before and after))

In this way, you can put in order not only cupronickel, but also, ordinary steel spoons-forks also take on a store-like appearance, but objects with beautiful blackening can become completely white - blackening will be "washed off" along with oxides and dirt, but over time, of course, will return.

And now a lesson in chemistry (and a little physics)!

So what's so magical about diving metal object in a warm solution of baking soda and salt with a piece of aluminum foil?

The usual reaction of substitution and reduction takes place - salt, soda and aluminum together "take" atoms from the oxide on the surface of the metal object. If you decide on such chemical experiments, do not be surprised - during the purification process, there is a slight but unpleasant "metallic" smell in the air.
A chemical reaction begins in the solution, as a result of which the foil darkens, and cupronickel, on the contrary, brightens and returns the surface purity.
Without delving into complex chemical formulas (how long have I been at school!), In this solution we create a certain sodium triosulfate - a powerful reducing agent that converts metal oxides into pure metals.

If we take, for example, silver, then over time it first tarnishes, and then darkens - oxidation of silver occurs. Typically, when oxidized, silver combines with sulfur to form silver sulfide, which is black in color and covers the silver object with a thin film.
To return the silver to its former shine, you need to remove this silver sulfide and for this there are two ways: either mechanically clean (peel off) this film, simultaneously erasing the silver particles under it, or carry out a reduction reaction - reverse the chemical oxidation reaction and "convert" silver sulfide back to silver.
When simultaneously placing aluminum and silver sulfide in an alkaline environment, aluminum, as a "stronger" metal, takes sulfur atoms from silver oxide, aluminum sulfide is obtained, silver is released and becomes pure in every sense of the word.
An important condition is that the reaction between aluminum and silver sulfide will occur when these two metals are immersed in a soda solution and come into contact. Those. You can also put a crumpled piece of foil in the solution, but covered with foil on the entire bottom of the container will allow this chemical reaction to be carried out faster. Also, the reaction occurs faster when the solution is warm - therefore, the dry components of the solution are filled with boiling water.
When a chemical reaction transfers sulfur from silver to aluminum, the aluminum sulfide can adhere to the aluminum foil (which is what we see as a result - all the foil is in yellow-brown spots and streaks) or form tiny, pale yellow flakes at the bottom of the container.

There is also a moment explaining why a silver object and aluminum foil should be in contact with each other - this is already from the school physics course. In the course of the reaction between these two metals, not a strong electric current is formed, a so-called "galvanic pair" is created, which is connected through an electrolyte (this is why there is salt in the solution). A potential difference forms between silver and foil (by the way, this is the reaction that is used in rechargeable batteries to generate electricity), so our solution is a real mini-battery!))

Well, this is all I'm getting bored about silver, but what about the same cupronickel (in which, as we have already found out, there is no silver), why is it purified?
Because the method of this chemical reduction reaction works with almost all the metals we use in our daily life.
Both steel and gold spoons will cleanse in the same way. True, with gold a slightly different course of reaction - gold oxide dissolves in an alkaline medium (soda solution), so here we risk slightly reducing the thickness of the gold coating)))
And you definitely shouldn't use this method for cleaning gilded items - the finest dusting is likely to peel off.
And we all run together and look at the markings on our table silver!
If there is a stamp "MNTs" - "copper, nickel, zinc", then the devices are made of an alloy with a beautiful elven name nickel silver - a kind of improved cupronickel, or "new silver". The zinc content in nickel silver is higher than in ordinary cupronickel, it is cheaper to manufacture, but it must be silver, otherwise forks and spoons will eventually have a "metallic" taste.
So with devices with such markings, you should also not often get carried away with restorative reactions - not immediately, of course, but over time, the thinnest silver coating will disappear and it will be unpleasant to eat from such spoons.

Well, in order not to end on an abstruse note (I'm a girl, I'm not like that!) I will show pictures of my silver and not so much treasures!
As it turned out, I don't have something rare and rare.

Ordinary tablespoons and forks just from nickel silver with the MNC marking, from the same opera, a dessert fork and a couple of coffee spoons:

A saucepan-tureen and a coffee pot made of the same material produced by the Kolchuginsky plant with a recognizable stamp in the form of a capercaillie:

But this is already cupronickel (brand "Melkh") glass holder "Cosmos" (also nifiga is not rare, but the most common) of the same Kolchuginsky plant:

Vietnamese silver spoon "noname":

And a gift from the mother-in-law - cutlery for the salad. Of course, they were described as a heirloom and real silver, there was only a half-erased marking "Lead Free", which means that the product does not contain lead, I will take your word for it and be proud)))

Usually, the pure composition (999 standard) of a noble metal (be it gold, silver) is not suitable for the production of a high-quality jewelry product. Items obtained this way are too fragile.

For the sake of communicating improved mechanical properties and creating a more intense shiny color texture, the composition is enriched by adding parts of non-ferrous metals - this is how alloys are obtained. Marking on a product made of precious metal (including silver) shows the content of precious metal in the alloy, serves to determine its sample. &

Samples of precious metal alloys for jewelry and other silver items, including cutlery, is established by the laws of the country. The earliest such standard is the “sterling silver” standard (925 sterling silver) - this is the material for the best silver devices: durable and the safest for health (since only copper is added to the composition of 999 silver).

Silver marking is a guarantee of the state

Each state guarantees the quality of products sold in the country silverware... To do this, it uses an assay control tool. All produced silver (as well as gold and platinum) go through a mandatory stage of control of compliance with composition and quality. As a result of the successful completion of the process, they are stamped with assay marks, the digital codes of which correspond to the sample.

In the photo: an example of modern marking of silver cutlery: from left to right, the stamp of the collection group of products - the stamp of the manufacturer of the Russian Federation - the stamp of the sample of silver.

If the product is silver-plated, then the abbreviated name of the base alloy / metal must also be present in the marking.

For domestic goods (produced during the USSR period and in modern Russia), the markings of the base alloy are characteristic (with, as a rule, 90 g silver plating):

• MN or MELKH - cupronickel;
• MNTs - nickel silver (analogue of cupronickel);
• AL - aluminum alloys;
• NERZH - stainless steel (usually uncoated; it is used for more expensive alloys like cupronickel).

Cutlery and other items coated with silver and other precious metals, have double marking: stamp + brand of base metal or alloy (as a rule, these are nickel silver and cupronickel devices). All this is relevant for domestic products. However, you should be extremely careful with antiques, since among them there are often silver-plated objects with a stamp indicating only a sample of a thin silver coating.

Differences in the marking of silver items

Silver branding is varied, with each country using its own shapes and designs for assay marks.

The overwhelming majority of countries, including Russia, adhere to the metric marking system for silver samples. According to this system, the sample is denoted by the number of parts of silver per 1,000 weight units of the alloy. Thus, in the international system (still relevant today) samples appeared: 750, 800, 875, 916, 925, 960, 999.

The labeling of the sample also allows the identification of "additives". Since pure silver is soft and brittle, it is subjected to alloying - the addition of more ductile and harder metals. In the form of such elements, the main place is given to copper, which makes silver qualitatively hard and resistant to abrasion. But they also use zinc, which is harmful to the body, but gives a wonderful shine. Along with it, nickel, cadmium and durable aluminum that lighten the product are used.

Alloys 960, 925 have the widest world application.

Alloy 875-th test is used for the manufacture of jewelry and table setting items. Alloy 916 - for the production of table setting items with enamel coating, alloy 960 - for the manufacture of filigree products. In some countries, such as Italy, the surface silver jewelry additionally radiated in order to give them oxidation resistance.

Photo: a similar domestic marking on silver provides information about the production period and sample. The star (the symbol of the USSR) allows us to say that the product was produced after 1928. And tsarist Russia used the mark of the manufacturer or master (artel) in the marking.

Spoons- table setting items or kitchen utensils (depending on the purpose). According to the material, they are divided into metal, wood, plastic, glass, bone, horn.

Spoons

Metal spoons depending on the purpose and form, several types are produced.

Table, dessert, tea, coffee spoons - with scoops, elongated in length, sometimes rounded; all all-metal, often stamped, sometimes cast.

The spoons differ only in size. The thickness of the metal in the ladle decreases evenly from the base to the end, this not only improves the performance of the spoon, but also allows you to get a fairly massive and durable handle. Such a design is achieved by a special rolling of the workpiece or by using a tape of the appropriate profile for stamping the spoons. When stamping spoons from sheet metal without rolling the blanks, rolled products of a smaller thickness are used; in this case, to ensure the necessary bending strength of the narrow neck of the handle, it is usually fashioned by extrusion of a longitudinal stiffener, which somewhat worsens the appearance of the spoons, and also complicates their cleaning. Dessert spoons are used as tablespoons for children. For children, spoons are also produced with such a curvature of the handle, which allows you to use the spoon only with the right hand.

Pouring - dining rooms and kitchens, usually stamped with riveted, welded or soldered handles, less often all-metal cast. Depending on the purpose, they differ: soup - with a hemispherical or round flat-bottomed scoop; sauce - with a sharply elongated drain on the side edge of the scoop or the same as dining rooms, but accordingly bigger size; for milk with a half-ball scoop and short drain. Pouring spoons for hanging kitchen spoons usually have hooks or holes at the ends of the handles.

Teapot spoons - with a bivalve, the shape of an ordinary teaspoon "apple", with a locking latch of various designs. The diameter of the holes on the valves is 0.7-1.0 mm.

Spoons for mustard, salt, etc. - different forms, with a flat or concave scoop.

Salad spoons - stamped all-metal or composite, with handles of various styles and designs. They are produced in a set with a special for salad, with which they make up the cutlery for the salad. The main dimensions of metal spoons and the metals used for their manufacture are shown in the table below.

Assortment, materials used and main dimensions of metal spoons

Metal grades used in the USSR since the fifties for the production of spoons: stainless steel - 1X18H9, 2X18H9, 1X18H9T (GOST 5632-51); pickled steel (GOST 1368-47); cupronickel - MN19 (GOST 492-52); brass - L62, L68, L70; tombak - L90; L96 (GOST 1019-47); sheet aluminum - MM; secondary aluminum alloys АЛЗЧ, АЦЗЧ and АЛ14Ч, silver of the 875th test.

Metal spoons used for table setting differ depending on the design: smooth; with stamped edging; with stamped or engraved design. According to the shape of the handles, these spoons are not standardized, they are produced in a large number options, including curly.

Aluminum spoons of all types, both stamped and cast, are made light-tipped or polished to a mirror shine; Delivery of aluminum matt (etched) spoons was allowed only with the consent of the customer. Also produced are aluminum spoons, finished with anodizing "gold", etc. Stainless steel spoons are produced polished to a mirror shine, without coating. Cupronickel spoons are made silvered with a coating thickness of an average of 20 c, but not less than 10 c in some places; the silver-plated surface of these spoons can be oxidized with cleaning along the contour "like old silver". Silver spoons are mostly polished, less often with different kinds jewelry finishing, including with "niello" (see). Metal spoons, which are part of various sets (both in cases and without them), according to styles and finishes, are designed in the same way as other items of the set, including with plastic, wooden and other non-metallic handles or overlays on the handles ...

Wooden spoons handicraft made from wood hardwood(birch, aspen, linden and maple), monolithic (from one piece). The following parts are distinguished in wooden spoons: "blade" ("ladle") - a ladle; "Bridge" ("galley") - the transitional part from the scoop to the handle; "Handle" - handle and "forging" - figured thickening at the end of the handle. Depending on the purpose and shape, wooden spoons differ: dining workers - with round and deep blades; dining rooms are thin - with a slightly narrowed and smaller blade and with a thin handle; semi-beech dining rooms - with an oval shallow blade; canteens "zagibka" - in shape approaching metal with an oval scoop; kitchen "ladders" - with a round deep blade, often with a hook on the handle for hanging; kitchen wipers; mustard - with a concave or flat scoop. The assortment and main sizes of wooden spoons are shown in the table.

Assortment and main sizes of wooden spoons

Wooden tablespoons and ladders are made painted on a previously sanded, primed and putty surface and are made out: yellow, lacquered, "under a berry", "under a leaf", "under grass", "under Kudrin", "under the background", etc.

After drawing the pattern, the spoons are covered with linseed oil several times, after which they are calcined in an oven ("hardening") until a dark golden background is obtained. This color is very durable, waterproof and heat resistant. Wooden rubbing and mustard spoons are produced well sanded, without coloring.

Spoons

Plastic, glass, bone, horn spoons, depending on the purpose, were made of the following types.

Ice cream spoons- plastic, pressed from aminoplasts of different colors, have the shape of a teaspoon, length 115-130 mm.

Salad spoons- complete with a salad fork, made of plastic, made of organic glass (stamped), sometimes with a silver jewelry edging, and pressed glass from colorless or colored glass, the shape and dimensions are the same as for salad metal.

Mustard spoons- horn and bone, as well as pressed glass, with a round concave scoop or spatula, were produced only in sets of glass tableware.

Punch spoon- glass (colorless or colored), produced only in a set of glass crochet devices

Requirements for the quality of spoons.

For metal spoons(GOST 4893-49): the edges of the scoop ("apple") - in one plane; the absence of burrs and sharp edges along the entire contour; bending strength of the neck (narrow part of the handle); symmetrical arrangement of the scoop, handle and stiffening ribs on the neck of the handle and drawing relative to the longitudinal axis of the spoon; absence of shells, scratches, stains, waviness, captivity, cracks and other defects that impair the strength or presentation of the products.

Metal spoons were produced in the 1st and 2nd grades. The second grade included products with minor deviations in terms of external finishing: insufficient clarity of the pattern, subtle risks, traces of grinding, etc. (within the limits that do not violate the presentation of the products).

For wooden spoons(TU suppliers): direction of wood grain only along the length of the spoon; absence of wood defects - slanting, knots, rot, wormholes, cracks, etc .; absence of processing defects - chips, scoring, notches, etc. correct symmetrical shape of products; coloring, harmless to health, durable, with a clear pattern, hardened to a dark golden color, with a bright luster of varnish over the entire surface; defects in coloring - unpainted spots, bubbles, stickiness, dirt, erasures and "mole rats" - were not allowed.

Wooden spoons were produced in four grades: the highest, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades, fully satisfying the quality requirements, belonged to the highest grade. Products with minor defects in the form of light symmetrical waviness of the blade, multi-tone hardening, uneven pattern and single mole rats were attributed to the 1st grade; products with the same more pronounced defects, as well as with an uneven primer, slightly pronounced sagging and an uneven coating thickness - to the 2nd grade. Spoons that, in addition to defects permissible for the 2nd grade, also have deviations in shape, including an insignificant curvature of the cutting, were attributed to the 3rd grade. Minor gouges in the edges and ends, but not affecting the suitability of the spoons for use, reduced the grade by one grade.

For bone and horn spoons- regular and symmetrical shape with a smooth, well-polished surface.

Quality checking.

For metal spoons- according to samples taken from the batch in the amount of 1%, but not less than 5 pieces: outward appearance- with the naked eye; by size - a universal measuring tool; for resistance to corrosion (only stainless steel spoons) - by immersing degreased and washed spoons in a 50% solution of acetic or citric acid at a temperature of 20 ° for 2 hours, after which no traces of corrosion should appear on the products; on the quality of silvering cupronickel spoons- by chemical removal of silver.

For wooden spoons- according to samples taken in an amount of up to 20-30%; the check was carried out only in appearance with the naked eye; with a rejection of more than 2-3%, the entire batch was returned to the supplier for re-sorting.

For bone and horn spoons- the same check as wooden.

Marking.

Metal spoons were marked with a trademark or a full production mark, a grade stamp only for the 2nd grade, a metal index (pressing or casting) on ​​the back of the handle.

The indexation of metals was carried out with the following designations: stainless steel - "stainless steel", cupronickel - "melkh.", Aluminum alloy - ALS, silver - standard in the corresponding numbers.

Wooden, bone and horn spoons were marked with labels inserted into the package containing the following data: the name and address of the supplier, the name of the spoons with the indication of the material (type of wood - for wooden spoons), type of finish, grade, quantity (in pieces), braker (surname or number) and date of issue.

Package.

Metal spoons polished and silver-plated were packed in 10 pcs., with soft paper transfer, in cardboard boxes or packs in a paper wrapper; each box or pack was tied with twine or pasted over with a paper parcel;

aluminum matte spoons- in packs of 25 pieces in a paper wrapper, tied with twine; on each box or pack, a company label was stuck with an indication of the department, manufacturer, name of the product, name of material, grade, quantity (in pieces) and standard.

For transportation, boxes and packs were packed in wooden boxes with a gross weight of up to 30 kg with packing labels inserted with the same data as on the labels; packaging of spoons included in various sets - according to the technical specifications of the suppliers.

Wooden spoons packed in wooden boxes or draped boxes with a lid made of wicker shingles (the lids were sometimes replaced by lining the top of the matting box); in each box or box, 100-500 pieces of spoons or 100-200 pieces of ladders were packed, the top row was compacted with hay or straw. Each place was enclosed with a packing label with the above data; in addition, the same data was indicated on a tag suspended from the package or directly on the container.

Bone and horn spoons packed by agreement of the parties.

Storage and transportation of spoons of all types was carried out only in a packed form, in buried premises. Boxes with wooden spoons were to be stored and transported only closed or upholstered, with spacers between the rows.

Requirements for quality, grade, quality control, marking and packaging of pouring spoons - aluminum, steel enameled, cupronickel and silver, as well as plastic and glass - are the same as for dishes made of the corresponding materials.

Care and rational use of spoons... Do not clean spoons with sand or other abrasive materials; do not use alkalis and acids for cleaning aluminum spoons, which have a destructive effect on this metal; it is not recommended to use ammonia and hyposulfite solution to clean silver spoons with "niello", which is destroyed in this case.

Recommended methods of cleaning spoons: aluminum - with a cloth moistened with a hot solution of borax (30 g per 1 liter) with the addition of ammonia (10 g), followed by rinsing with clean hot water; enameled steel and stainless steel - in a hot solution of soda (25 g per 1 liter) with rinsing with clean hot water; once a week, these spoons should be washed in warm water with the addition of 10% ammonia (1 teaspoon per liter); silver ones are recommended to be cleaned with a creamy mixture of tooth powder with ammonia. Damp spots on silver are removed with warm vinegar followed by washing with warm water; The tarnished surfaces of silver and silvered spoons are washed with hot 1% soapy water, then, without allowing them to cool, they are moistened with a hyposulfite solution (100 g per 0.5 l) and wiped with a soft cloth.

A spoon that was supposedly used by a German soldier in 1941-1945. Found in an abandoned house. On the back side handles inscription: "PLEWKIEWICZ GALW", according to information from the Internet, I found out the following: "". Next, the number "6" is embossed, apparently it denotes the number of the item in the dining set. because it turns out there are similar spoons and forks. And on the end of the handle the letters "BM" are embossed. At first I thought they were the initials of the owner, but everything turned out to be simpler. "BM" denotes the metal from which the object is made, in this case "BM" -white metal. (Cupronickel). There are cutlery with a different mark "Rostfreier Stahl" (stainless steel).

It is possible that such spoons were commonly used. In our area there were many Romanian soldiers fighting for Nazi Germany. Everyone knows that some Polish citizens were in the ranks of the Reich. It is possible that such sets were bought by civilians in the pre-war and post-war times.

I have had another spoon for a long time, as it turned out with the letters "VM", I found it in my youth on the ruins of an abandoned farm. She is clearly of civilian origin. On the spoons issued by Germany specifically for the army, the officers have the mark of an eagle with a swastika.

Fraget firm.

For interested visitors, we add another copy of the old cutlery... In the photo below, we see an item labeled "Fraget". This means that the item is made of copper or a copper alloy, the top is electroplated with silver plated. The founder of a plant in Poland that produced devices using this technology is Josef Frazhet (1797-1867). Items made of Polish silver were very popular; they were also supplied to royal persons (Serbia, Romania, Afghanistan). The collections of famous museums contain items with the "Fraget" brand.

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