I agree with Chroma and middenmaidenvt. I suspect you have a copper spoon that may have been plated with silver but worn thin. You could polish an edge to see if it is reddish (copper) or yellowish (brass) within or you could rub the edge on unglazed porcelain such as a porcelain dish bottom ring to see if it has a reddish or yellowish streak for elemental copper or alloy brass.
Welcome to the forum middenmaidenvt! Are you somehow associated with archaeology since "midden" is a familiar archaeology jargon term?
I agree with Chroma and middenmaidenvt. I suspect you have a copper spoon that may have been plated with silver but worn thin. You could polish an edge to see if it is reddish (copper) or yellowish (brass) within or you could rub the edge on unglazed porcelain such as a porcelain dish bottom ring to see if it has a reddish or yellowish streak for elemental copper or alloy brass.
Welcome to the forum middenmaidenvt! Are you somehow associated with archaeology since "midden" is a familiar archaeology jargon term?
thanks for the tips! I’m currently traveling in Italy but will try some of those techniques when I get home. I’m not an archaeologist but it’s always wanted to be one! I’m sure the archaeologists don’t like us metal detectors but we get a taste of rescuing history that most archaeologists aren’t looking for!