Watson Silver Spoon

Q: Can you identify the manufacturer and age of this spoon? We got this vintage silver spoon as a wedding present 32 years ago. Our names and the date of the wedding are engraved on the bowl of the spoon. Our oldest daughter recently married and I thought of doing something similar for her.

A:  The “H in flag” mark was used by The Watson Co. of Attleboro, Massachusetts. The company was in business under various names from 1874 to 1955, when it was sold to R. Wallace and Sons. The company made flatware, hollowware, souvenir spoons, and other items. During the early 1900s, Watson made flatware in several different floral and fruit patterns as well as hundreds of souvenir spoons. You may be able to find a similar pattern through a matching service, like Replacements.com. We haven’t found out why the company used an “H” in the flag, since the company name and founders’ names don’t begin with that letter. Can anyone solve the mystery?