An unusual and desirable item for the Civil War era mess equipment and personal item enthusiast is this J. Fallows Patent 1865 mess spoon was constructed of die-struck tined sheet iron in accordance with the direction offered by the Fallows patent (see illustration). The spoon handle is formed from two thin iron sheets with the top sheet crimped over the lower with the two piece handle crimped and soldered to the bowl. (Patent markings are barely discernable on the spoon handle.) The design resulted in a stronger spoon while utilizing lighter material. This rarely surviving example remains in excellent original condition yet with good evidence of period originality. An especially nice personal item, this piece will lay in well with any quality Civil War grouping. ( We currently have a number of collectable Civil War era mess spoon variations from an old collection. Use spoon in our search box to see them all. Buy with confidence! We are pleased to offer a no questions asked three day inspection with return as purchased on direct sales! Just send us a courtesy e-mail to let us know your item will be returned per these provisions and your purchase price will be refunded accordingly. Thanks for visiting Gunsight Antiques!