We were attracted by a couple of bronze spoon-molds, used for making the dog nose, or wavy end, rat-tail spoons fashionable from about 1710 to 1725. Derik Pulito had them at Dorset, and one had a recently cast pewter spoon inside. Quite a few spoon molds like this, and earlier, have survived, and there are many pewter spoons on the market that have been cast from them: they look authentic and they're decorative, but they're not old and serious collectors avoid them. Spoon molds do add an extra interest to a collection of early spoons. Derik would sell the empty one for $285 and the one with the spoon for $325.

Derik Pulito, Country Americana, 381 Percival Ave, Kensington, CT 06037, (860) 828-0588.