A Hoard of Coins, Two Spoons, and a Cane Top of Silver from Irvine, and a Spoon of the same Metal from Haddington

Abstract

A quantity of coins, two spoons, and a cane top of silver were discovered in 1923. The spoons are similar in shape and ornamentation. On the back of the stem of both spoons are the Edinburgh hall-marks I S (John Scott), a castle, and I F (John Fraser). On the cane top is engraved a shield bearing the arms of Cuninghame of Cuninghamehead, in the parish of Dreghorn, in Ayrshire, the arms being a shake-fork between two garbs and a mullet-in-chief, with the letters DEC. The coins number 351 and range in date from the reign of Edward VI to Charles I. The silver spoon from Haddington has on the front of the top of the stem an engraved rude foliaceous\r\ndesign with a heart-shaped ornament below, and there is an incised triangle at the foot. On the back of the stem are the hall-marks D B (David Bog, maker), a castle, and I S (James Symonstoun, deacon of the incorporation, 1665-7), and the groove\r\nmade in testing the quality of the metal. On the back of the bowl are the initials B M. The spoon was made in Edinburgh about 1666.