[WESTERN AMERICANA]. A group of 2 Henry Bohm silver banquet spoons commissioned by railroad magnate Otto Mears and featuring detailed mining scenes, ca 1890s.

2 silver banquet spoons hallmarked by Henry Bohm of Denver on the reverse, each approx. 6 in. long, fronts with ornate mining scene extended from the bowl of the spoon up and into the handle. Miners depicted at the top, with a mining shaft running down the spoon handle dropping to the bucket at the mine's bottom where two other miners are working, loading the bucket to bring to the surface. The reverse of the spoons are each unique: one spoon at the top of the handle features an engraved text "Cripple Creek Colo.," while the reverse of the other spoon at the top of the handle features engraved text "C.G. / From / H. Knox / May 29, '99." Extremely rare.

Otto Mears (1840–1931) was a Colorado railroad builder and entrepreneur who played a major role in the early development of southwestern Colorado. Mears was known as the "Pathfinder of the San Juans" because of his road and railroad building projects through Colorado's San Juan Mountains in the late 19th century. He built hundreds of miles of toll roads in the rough terrain of the young state of Colorado, notably the Million Dollar Highway over Red Mountain Pass, connecting Silverton to Ouray, Colorado. Mears is also famous for the silver railroad passes that he made and issued for the various railroad lines he owned in the Rocky Mountains. See "The Remarkable Railroad Passes of Otto Mears" (William Strong, Silverton, Colorado, 1988, also with pg. 29 featuring an image of Mears spoons). There are varying historical accounts of where and when the mining scene spoon was distributed, including one account which indicates that the spoons may have been distributed to Silverton Railroad directors and major investors at a banquet in Silverton, Colorado, in late 1890. It is likely that the Otto Mears sterling silver spoons were not sold to the public.

Henry Bohm (1847-1920) came to Denver from Leadville in 1881 and established the Henry Bohm Jewelry Company, which later became Bohm-Allen Company. He was a prominent and prosperous jeweler in early Denver. The Denver Tribune of 1 January 1883 reported: "One year ago Henry Bohm & Co. came here from Kansas City and opened up a small, unpretentious jewelry store which was filled with none but first-class goods. It did not take long for the people of Denver to find out that his goods were the best in the city, and they began making Bohm & Co.'s store their headquarters when they wished something genuine. From a small beginning they have succeeded in building up a trade equal to the oldest jeweler in Denver...."