Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
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This piece is not for sale, but help me solve the mystery of who made this piece, and I will send you a very nice coin silver spoon in thanks! These twist-arm American coin silver sugar tongs measure about 7 1/8 inches in length and weigh about 49 grams. The maker's mark is a fairly crude SR in a serrated punch. Please take a look at all the pictures. The engraved arms and circular reserve might indicate a Western Pennsylvania or Midwestern, or perhaps Shenandoah Valley origin, but so far... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20181020-09   Sold

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Offered is a very rare example of the work of Guilford, Connecticut silversmith Samuel Parmelee (Parmele), working circa 1757 to perhaps his death in 1807. His work seems to be very rare from about 1775 and later, though this spoon has his documented mark and appears to date to about 1800. Samuel Parmelee served in the Revolutionary War, ultimately achieving the rank of Captain. This spoon measures about 5 1/8 inches in length and weighs about 11 grams. The maker's mark is well-struck and... Click for details

Old Friends  
3657f   $225.00

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The name Wilson is deeply entwined with the history of Philadelphia silver dating from the first half of the 19th century, and that story began with Robert Wilson Senior (1766-1824) and continued through two more generations.

This item is double stamped "R.W" for the progenitor, Robert, who Catherine Hollan in Philadelphia Silversmiths notes, was "probably born in Scotland, [and] was listed as a silversmith in New York City directories 1803-10, then settled in Philadelphia in 1812."... Click for details

Old Friends  
3653f   $34.00

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These two identical teaspoons each measure a lengthy 6", are slender, have an exposed drop on the heel of the bowl, and show a midrib running down from the subtle tipt end on the backside of the handle.

They also have deeply beveled and highly angular shoulders coming off the pointed bowls.

The pair weight approximately 1.0 T. oz. combined, and each one has the same feathered script, period "HM" monogram engraved on the front.

Each one is imprinted with a right facing "eagle" pseudo... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20181006-02   $85.00

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Offered is a rare and lovely early American coin silver long-handled condiment spoon, perhaps for dry mustard, by noted Philadelphia silversmiths Jean-Simon Chaudron and Anthony Rasch, working together in partnership circa 1809-12. This piece bears a clear maker's mark for the partnership, as well as a period script monogram to the reverse of the handle. As can be seen in the pictures (please click through all of them), there is a also a small mark on the upper end of the handle where a silver... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180930-03   $24.95

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Offered is a lovely Baltimore coin silver teaspoon by noted silversmith and watch and clock maker, John Lynch (1761-1848), probably circa the 1830s, but perhaps a little earlier or later. This piece has an engraved period script monogram and also features, in addition to a maker's mark for Mr. Lynch, several pseudo-hallmarks, including a union shield, an eagle, and the letter "S". These hallmarks probably post-date the Assay period in Baltimore history, and I've only observed them on a handful... Click for details

Old Friends  
3592f   $42.00

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Each of these two, matching, coin silver teaspoons measures 5 3/4" long, while the pair weigh just over 1.0 T. oz. combined.

Having "Reverse Tipt" ends on down turned handles, thumb drops on the backsides of the bowls, and inscribed "CJP" set sideways on the handle fronts, they are stamped "Hedges" for David Hedges, 1779-1856, of East Hampton, New York.

Their style places them in the early 1800s.

The Hedges family is deeply ingrained in the history of eastern Long Island, when it was... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2307   Sold

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with short back midrid (a/k/a reverse fiddle tip't), pointed chamfered shoulders and a pronounced "flat" at leading edge, length 9 inches, weight 2.23 Troy ounces, monogrammed as shown. There is a small imperfection on back of bowl (see third photo) but otherwise fine condition.

We often speak of the "hallmarks" on American silver, but it is worth noting that very few pieces are actually hallmarked. This one bears the Baltimore assay office stamps commonly associated with 1824.

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180107-08   $27.50

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Offered is a good early American coin silver teaspoon by noted Philadelphia silversmith William Seal, born and perhaps trained in Virginia but known to be working alone and in partnership in Philadelphia between 1810 and 1822. He lived until 1853 but the style of his silver does not post-date about 1820. This piece is in good condition overall, with moderate wear and no dents, splits or repairs. It is nicely engraved with a period script monogram and has a legible maker's mark as well as... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180107-01   $95.00

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Offered is a nice pair of late 18th Century American coin silver sugar tongs marked only with a maker's mark of S.B - a mark given in Belden's "American Silversmiths" to Col. Standish Barry of Baltimore, MD. See Belden, page 49, mark d. for Barry. The strength of the attribution to Barry in Belden is based on stylistic similarities to known Belden work, and the relatively small number of potential craftsmen with the right initials working in the right time period. In any event, these sugar... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180106-17   $125.00

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Offered is a nice pair of 18th Century silver sugar tongs dating by style to the 1760s or early 1770s, bearing only a maker's mark of T.H in a rectangle. This maker's mark is fairly crude and doesn't look like a British mark, but the proportions of this pair of tongs look more British than American to me. So, are these tongs British, and dodge paying duty? Were they perhaps made provincially within the UK proper, far away from an assay office? Could they be from somewhere else in the Empire,... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180106-16   $65.00

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Offered is an interesting early American coin silver teaspoon or coffee spoon that by style appears to date to the 1750-70 timeframe; the maker's mark ends with an "E" that looks an awful lot like one of Samuel Edwards' marks, but I can't make out the first letter. The outline of the mark is right for Samuel Edwards as well, but the drop on the spoon is different from those I've seen used by Edwards. So, probably a different maker. Does anyone have a theory? This piece is engraved with block... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20180106-08   Sold

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Offered is a very good group of early American coin silver teaspoons, all three by James Black (working circa 1796-1819), but with different workmen's marks, and with two different maker's marks for Black. The marks on these spoons were used in the book "Philadelphia Silversmiths" by Hollan - the definitive reference on the subject. These spoons range in date from about 1805 for the transitional fiddle spoon without shoulders, to about 1815-19 for the fiddle spoon with pointed shoulders, which... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20171231-07   Sold

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Offered is a nice set of two early American coin silver teaspoons by Connecticut silversmith Nathaniel Shipman. These two spoons are each clearly marked and are also decorated with period engraved script monograms. These spoons each measure a little over 5 inches in length, and the pair weighs about 17 grams altogether. Condition of these spoons is fair to good overall, with some bumping to the bowls and stubborn tarnish spots, but no splits or repairs. All in all a lovely pair of early CT... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20171227-01   NOT FOR SALE

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For your consideration is an interesting late 18th Century style American coin silver spoon, marked "W (pellet) D". It is my assumption at least that this piece, which measures about 4 15/16 inches in length and weighs about 8 grams, is American. It does not feel Canadian or British Colonial to me, nor does it come across as Continental. The light weight, unusual shell-back decoration, small bowl size, mark and engraving to the handle indicate to me that it is probably American and quite... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20170714-02   $67.50

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Offered is a fine pair of early American coin silver sugar tongs by noted Philadelphia silversmith Joseph Anthony, who worked in that city from 1783-1809 on his own and from 1810-14 with his sons. This pair of tongs by style should date to about 1805-09 but could be a bit earlier. The maker's mark is one of Joseph Anthony's working alone, so this piece likely dates to no later than 1809. The maker's mark (see pics) is lightly struck, as is the case with most pieces by Mr. Anthony, and appears... Click for details