THORVALDSENS MUSEUM SILVER SPOON

Q: I have a silver souvenir spoon that was made for the opening of the Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. My great-grandmother and great-grandfather were born there. There is a picture of the museum in the bowl of the spoon and three towers on the end of the handle. Can you tell me if this spoon is worth much today?

A: Thorvaldsens Museum was founded to display the works of Bertel Thorvaldsen, a neoclassical sculptor who was born in Copenhagen in 1770 but who lived and worked in Rome most of his life. The museum, which opened in 1848, is Denmark's oldest museum building. It contains drawings, sketches, and original models for most of Thorvaldsen's sculptures, as well as his collection of works of art. The three towers on the handle of your spoon are a symbol used on Copenhagen's coat of arms and town seal. Thorvaldsen died in 1844 and was buried in the museum courtyard in 1848. The spoon is not a well-known souvenir spoon, but spoons of this type with an enamel bowl sell for about $75.

WATSON SILVER SPOON

Q: Can you identify the manufacturer and age of this spoon? We got this vintage silver spoon as a wedding present 32 years ago. Our names and the date of the wedding are engraved on the bowl of the spoon. Our oldest daughter recently married and I thought of doing something similar for her.

A: The "H in flag" mark was used by The Watson Co. of Attleboro, Massachusetts. The company was in business under various names from 1874 to 1955, when it was sold to R. Wallace and Sons. The company made flatware, hollowware, souvenir spoons, and other items. During the early 1900s, Watson made flatware in several different floral and fruit patterns as well as hundreds of souvenir spoons. You may be able to find a similar pattern through a matching service, like Replacements.com. We haven't found out why the company used an "H" in the flag, since the company name and founders' names don't begin with that letter. Can anyone solve the mystery?