Old Friends  
4860f   $65.00

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Stamped with Albert Coles' three part "eagle/AC/bust" emblem, this 6" long, weighty feeling 1.3 T. oz., coin silver sauce or cream ladle dates from the mid 19th century.

The pattern, Jenny Lind, originated with Coles but was produced by innumerable other manufacturers of the time and was apparently well-received given the variety of inventory that remains extant.

The design appears on both sides of the handle and extends onto the backside heel of the bowl, which is oval and... Click for details

Old Friends  
4847f   $395.00

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This basket stands 4 7/8" tall to the rim, reaches 7 1/2" to the top of the upraised swing handle, has a top diameter of 5 1/4", stands on a footed base that is 3 1/2" across, and weighs 9.4 T. oz.

Solid coin silver and dating circa 1860, it was made by Wood & Hughes whose "WwH" emblem is stamped on the underside.

It could be a sugar basket for large tea set, or perhaps a sweet meat server.

Very much a period piece, it incorporates design elements popular in the period.

The body and... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2450   Sold

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(Washington, DC circa 1860) length 7 3/4 inches, total Troy weight 9.9 ounces, excellent condition with lovely color and no appreciable tine wear.

With their short front "tip't" decoration, engine turned work and bright cut engraving trailing down to the area just above the tines (please see fourth enlargement), these are especially decorative and fine quality examples.

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2438   Sold

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length 8 inches, total Troy weight 10.49 ounces, monogrammed "B.B." (script, obverse). These have seen some hefty use by hungry hands. There is a bit of wear where they meet the plate, some of which encroaches upon the engraving. That said, they do still have a certain charm, excellent diaper work and scrolled decoration, and a wonderful feel in the hand. Marked "patent 1855 / coin" (mark is worn).

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2437   Sold

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circa 1840. Tipt double swell fiddle handle, no monogram, length 7 1/4 inches, weight .87 oz. Troy, good condition. For those who collect VT silver, finding the town mark (please see third enlargement) along with the maker is an unexpected pleasure.

Roswell Hopkins Bailey was born in Unity, NH on July 22, 1804. At or near the time this spoon was made, he served as master to two apprentices: first Samuel Philbrick Bailey, then Bradbury Melon Bailey. He cast free his earthly bonds on May... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20220109-06   Sold

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Offered is a nice decorated late 18th Century or early 19th Century American silver teaspoon by Teunis Denyse Dubois, working in New York, NY circa 1794-1820; this piece measures about 5 5/8 inches in length and weighs about 16 grams. It features engraved decoration on the handle and a good clear maker's mark and pseudo-hallmark of a sheaf of wheat (?). Condition overall is good, with modest wear from normal use and no splits or repairs. All in all a nice example of this man's work!

Old Friends  
4814f   On Hold

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Marked on the reverse "Palmer. Bachelders & Co.," this 6 7/8" long, 1.4 T. oz., coin silver serving spoon traces to 1860s Boston.

The pattern is Olive, which while a standard design that was widely produced, and notably popular in the Boston area, there are variations in design among manufacturers.

This example shows clean style, with balanced proportions and well-articulated detail.

A preserve spoon, it has a shell form bowl that is finished with a bright gold wash front and... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2432   $250.00

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length 12 inches, weight 3.16 Troy ounces, fine condition with minor scratches on reverse of blade as seen in second enlargement. There is some slight evidence of an erasure, but if so it has been done properly and even the best trained pair of eyes may not be able to detect this.

The blade features an exciting combination of bright cut, diapering and wriggle-work engraving which delights both the eye and the camera's lens. You'd be hard pressed to find a more elegant tool for the bride... Click for details

Old Friends  
4701f   $115.00

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An early example of Gorham's Cottage, which was issued in 1861 to a coin silver standard and continued in production for many years through and beyond the company's transition to sterling in 1868, this 9" long, approximately 2.5 T. oz., ice cream spade is marked "Patent 1861," "Coin," and "Shreve Stanwood & Co.," for the Boston firm that eventually became that city's renowned "Shreve, Crump & Low."

A relatively plain pattern, this is embellished on the handle front with a delicately... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20210808-01   Sold

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Offered is a fine large American coin silver soup ladle by St. Louis silversmith Anthony Henry Menkens (fl. 1840-66), and bearing a good clear strike of his maker's mark. This piece is also initialed in period engraved script. This piece measures about 13 1/8 inches in length and weighs a good 152 grams. Condition is good overall, with modest scuffing and scratching from normal use, but with no major dents and no splits or repairs. All in all an excellent example of St. Louis and Missouri... Click for details

Old Friends  
4657f   $120.00

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Generously scaled, this coin silver server measures 10 1/8" long overall, has a 4 1/2" by 3" at the widest, blade, and weighs 3.3 T. oz.

It is marked "Blynn & Baldwin," for the Columbus, Ohio, pair of jewelers with approximate dates 1850-60.

The handle is in a double-sided "Kings" pattern that almost surely has Philadelphia origins, with kindred patterns illustrated in Catherine Hollan's encyclopedic Philadelphia Silversmiths.

Intended to serve pie or pastry, the blade is a study... Click for details

Old Friends  
4627f   On Hold

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Likely a preserve, although possibly a large sugar, spoon, this piece measures 6 13/16" long and weighs approximately 1.1 T. oz.

An "Olive" pattern, it was made by Farrington & Hunnewell, whose multi-part emblem appears on the handle back but is over stamped by the name of the retailer, "A.F. Burbank," Boston, 1853-67, and Worcester, 1867-80, Massachusetts.

It is also marked "Pure-Coin," which is a characteristically New England term for the silver standard.

While "Olive" was a generic... Click for details

Old Friends  
4625f   $145.00

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This lengthy, 9 1/8", and weighty, 3.2 T. oz., berry scoop or shovel has origins in Boston, marked for "Bailey. Kettell & Chapman," 1854-58. It is also stamped "Pure-Coin," which is a characteristic New England term.

The handle is a die struck "Bead" pattern that appears on both the front and back sides. There is a cursive "EWL" monogram inscribed on the reverse.

The generously proportioned, 3 1/2" by 2 3/8", scoop is engraved with a highly detailed and finely rendered motif that portrays... Click for details

Cliff Nunn - Antique Silver and Decorative Arts  
20210619-01   Sold

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Offered is a lovely American coin silver spoon by Philadelphia maker Henry McKeen, working from about 1823 to about 1865; this piece probably dates to 1850 or earlier. It is initialed "JES" in period engraved script, and has a legible maker's mark and the Philadelphia eagle trademark, which may or may not be a manufacturer's mark used by the Wilson brothers. This teaspoon measures about 6 1/16 inches in length and weighs about 16 grams. Condition is very good overall, with minimal wear and no... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2436   Sold

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double swell fiddle with short front midrib decoration, length 10 3/4 inches, weight 3.88 oz. Troy, fine condition, monogrammed as shown in fourth enlargement.

Noteworthy for the whimsical and well executed decoration of Poseidon averting his eyes from the sullen stare of one sweaty stallion, and for the foliate scrolled embellishments on handle, which are stylistically "of a piece" with the blade.

Old Friends  
4593f   $46.00

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A major name in mid 19th century Boston silver production and retailing, Farrington & Hunnewell was the maker of this 6 7/8" long, .9 T. oz., coin silver preserve spoon marked "< F & H >."

F&H were masters of bright cut and fine engraving, which this piece illustrates. The work on the front of this portrays anthemion and leaf detailing against a fine line background that mimics engine turning.

The handle has a rounded end with a slight "Tipt" backside, and a shield form reserve,... Click for details