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Primary sourceArtifact

Spoon engraved by Paul Revere

Paul Revere

A silver serving spoon from the Smithsonian collection, representing the small engraved flatware typical of Revere's output.

A serving spoon engraved by Revere, showing the everyday flatware that made up much of his silversmith trade.

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A silver-toned serving spoon with a long handle and an oval bowl, lying diagonally on a plain grey background. A catalog label reading DL*60.2214 and a color scale bar sit at the bottom of the photo.
Spoon, engraved by Paul Revere. National Museum of American History.

About this source

What it is

This is a silver serving spoon with an engraved design, held in the collection of the National Museum of American History. It is linked to the silversmith Paul Revere.

Why it matters

Much of Revere's business was not grand ceremonial pieces but small, practical items like spoons, made for everyday households. Objects like this remind students that Revere's main occupation throughout his life was as a craftsman producing silver goods, and that this trade supported him long before and after his famous role in the Revolution.

Look closer

  • What does the plain, practical design of this spoon suggest about its original owner?
  • Why might museums collect everyday objects like spoons alongside famous historical items?
  • What does this object leave out about Revere's political life?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Paul Revere on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Scanned page 27 of an 1861 magazine, headed 'Paul Revere's Ride', showing the poem's title and opening stanzas in two columns of printed text, with prose from the preceding article above.Book

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Primary source

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