A 4 3/4 inch coin silver condiment or master salt spoon by Antoine Dumesnil, Lexington, Kentucky, 1812-1833.

The finless form of this little piece suggests it was made before 1820. Dumesnil was a Frenchman and an aristocrat who came to America during the French Revolution and worked as a silversmith in Boston for a short period before moving to Kentucky. Silver items by him are among the most prized of any made in Kentucky. Dumesnil was about the same age as another Lexington silversmith, Asa Blanchard, and they were friendly competitors until Dumesnil's untimely death in 1833. Condiment spoons are a scarce form in early Kentucky made silver. This piece is in excellent condition and well marked.

$475