A rare Queen Anne West Country silver trefid spoon,probably by Richard Sweet III, Honiton c.1713,struck thrice with maker's mark SW crowned in an oval punch, with scrollwork decorated rat-tail, prick dot engraved R.M over M.R 1713 on reverse, 21.25cm long, 1.5 ozSee pages 135,136 and 137 in ‘West Country Silver Spoons and Their Makers’ by Timothy Kent, published by J H Bourdon-Smith, London 1992, where this mark is mentioned and illustrated. The Sweet family dies for laceback trefids are very distinctive and it seems that they were shared around the family. Further research by Mr Kent in 'The Finial', vol. 17/05, pp.10, concludes that this mark must come from the Honiton workshop of Richard Sweet III. With thanks to Tim Kent for his help cataloguing this lot.