Silver-plated souvenir or commemorative spoon

This is a decorative silver-plated spoon featuring extensive embossed and engraved detailing primarily along its long, ornate handle. The bowl of the spoon is large, oval-shaped, and shows notable surface wear, including dark tarnishing, oxidation spots, and minor pitting consistent with age and unpolished storage. The handle tapers inward slightly toward the neck and widens into a rounded terminal at the top, displaying intricate scrollwork, floral motifs, and a central cartouche or shield area. There is clearly legible embossed text and numerical markings along the handle, including the name 'Lillian' written in script near the top, along with the date '1902' split across the sides, and other partial lettering such as 'MARY' along the left edge. No definitive maker's mark or silver purity hallmark is clearly discernible from this angle, though the piece exhibits characteristics consistent with turn-of-the-20th-century souvenir or commemorative silverware production, potentially related to a birth, baptism, or historical event from around 1902. The attribution rests entirely on the visual observation of the embossed text and decorative patterns rather than a verified manufacturer.

Based on what I can see in the photograph, this is a decorative silver-plated souvenir or commemorative spoon featuring turn-of-the-20th-century aesthetic characteristics, including intricate embossed scrollwork, floral motifs, and the inscribed name 'Lillian' alongside the date '1902'. I can't verify from a photo whether the piece is silver-plated base metal or sterling silver, as no clear hallmark is visible, and I would need physical inspection to confirm material composition and exact manufacturing methods. Assuming the attribution to a 1902 commemorative piece is correct, comparable turn-of-the-century souvenir spoons of this style typically trade in the $45 to $75 range depending on collector demand and overall condition. The bowl displays notable surface wear, dark tarnishing, oxidation spots, and minor pitting, which moderately detracts from its collector value. Furthermore, this valuation is strictly a hypothesis based on visual observation; visible inscriptions can sometimes be modern additions or commemorative reproductions rather than period originals. If physical examination reveals the item to be a later replica, reproduction, or made 'in the style of' the period, the market value would likely decrease to the $15 to $30 range. To confirm authenticity, material purity, and exact period origin, an in-person examination by a qualified silver expert, hallmark verification, and potentially non-destructive testing would be required.