Silver Salt Spoons

Before salt shakers came into being, salt spoons were used to distribute salt at the dinner tables of the upper classes. The earliest form to be found is the shovel, usually in Hanoverian pattern and produced up to the 1770’s. Shell bowled and whip handled spoons are also found from the mid 18th century. The Old English pattern spoon was the most popular from the late 18th century onwards with a round or oval bowl, often gilded. Many novelty forms were produced during the Victorian era and all the usual flatware patterns are represented, but these spoons became obsolete after the 1930s, when manufacturers began adding a chemical to salt which would coat each grain to prevent them from sticking together. However, they still remain highly collectable today, with Steppes Hill Farm Antiques having a number of antique silver salt spoons available for sale.