MODEL 1874 US ARMY MESS SPOON – INTERESTING
VARIANT: Smaller than the standard issue Indian
War Period US Army Issue M1874 Mess Spoon, but identical
to the standard pattern, the first small quantity of
these smaller versions I obtained were found years ago
in a box tucked away in an old wooden barracks building
on Fort Sam Houston, here in San Antonio, Texas.
The recognized Model 1874 Mess Spoon pattern was roughly
the same length as the fork and knife, approximately 6 ˝
- 7” long. These smaller versions, while having the
identical embossed pattern as the larger spoons, are
only 5 ˝” long, like the smaller teaspoons in a normal
silver service. There is no known record of the army’s
use of this smaller version, however there is no doubt
they were found in a context that ties them to the
Frontier Army. Lightweight in construction like the
standard issue tin spoons, they were no where near as
strong as the Model 1874 Knife and Fork. As a result,
the Mess spoon did not survive in the same numbers as
the other two utensils, and is often missing from an
Indian War display.
I’ve recently obtained a limited second quantity of
these spoons, identical in every way to the first lot
found on Ft. Sam Houston. These are unmarked as was
common for all but the earliest production of the Model
1874 Spoons. Except for the size, these spoons are the
exact pattern spoon chosen by the Ordnance Equipment
Board in 1874 and produced by Lamson, Goodenew & Co. of
New York. This same pattern spoon is shown is a number
of different references to include Ordnance Memoranda
No. 19, Infantry Equipment 1874 and one of these spoons
is photographed against the diagram plate of Ordnance
Memoranda No. 19 which contains the line drawing of the
utensils. The spoons are in very good condition with a
considerable amount of the original tin plating
remaining. Never particularly common, the Model 1874
Mess spoons have become scarce on the market and it is
difficult to find a decent one to complete your
saddlebags or haversack in conjunction with the mess
kit, cup, and ration bags. These smaller examples will
serve nicely or be an unusual addition to your mess
equipment collection. $50
|