When my husband, son and I visited Mount Vernon in Washington, D.C. in November of 2022, I was came upon this beautiful exhibit of souvenir spoons there that were vertically showcased. Almost every imaginable spoon version ever made to commemorate George and Martha Washington were proudly on display.
Back in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, when tourists visited cities, landmarks and national parks, buying a sterling "souvenir" spoon was extremely popular, like how people today buy souvenir magnets. Folks would amass large collections of these spoons and then display them on boards as a piece of decorative art in their homes.
In my 50 year career of sifting through silverware while at The Silver Queen Inc., I must have seen at least 1,000 or more of these George Washington souvenir spoons and honestly never gave too much thought of them. However, after I saw this superb and ultra complete set so gorgeously displayed, I have a strong feeling that we at The Silver Museum, will be eventually be putting together a similar display like this ourselves with our assorted souvenir spoons.
The values of these Washington souvenir spoons range in price of $20-$150 for most and could be as high as $300 for one that is enameled and full sized and fully figural both front and back in perfect condition. See Ebay for the latest price updates:
If you are planning to visit Mount Vernon anytime soon in the future, please look out for this nice display near the front of the visitor center nearest to the gift shop.
Article written by Greg Arbutine Owner of The Silver Museum
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Please send us photos, measurements and item descriptions. Thanks, Greg Arbutine
Silver Museum Owner
Love that display of souvenir spoons.