Old Friends  
1574fa   $ 345

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Fried oyster servers show themselves in various forms, some quite whimsical. Wood & Hughes contributed a singular style to the line up as evidenced in this 10 1/2", nearly 3.7 T. oz., example. The pattern is "Daisy," an attractive 1880 floral design whose inspiration is self-evident. The serving end measures 5 1/2" long and 3" wide. It is rounded, flat, and asymmetrical, shaped quite like a golf club head. The sidewalls at the join with the handle are wrapped upward and around and thus form... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2135   $125.00

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length 8 1/2 inches, weight 2.8 Troy ounces, no monogram, a few minor knife cuts on the tines (ask us very nicely and we'll polish these out a bit) but excellent overall condition.

If ever an item cried out to be given as a wedding gift, this it.

Old Friends  
1572f   $ 55

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Originated in 1894, "Verona" bespeaks its late Victorian vintage. It incorporates a variety of scroll, leaf and floral elements in an intricate portraiture. The maker was A.F. Towle, which later became Lunt. This example is a 5 1/4" long tea infuser. The lidded bowl is particularly decorative, with a finely engraved surface complimenting patterned piercings. It latches with a clip. The piece is in flawless condition and without a monogram or removal. There is no evident polishing wear and... Click for details

Old Friends  
1571fl   $ 85 set

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Having hexagonal bases and walls leading to rounded tops, each of these identical individual nut (or candy) dishes has a top diameter of 1 5/8", a base width of 1", and stands 1/2" high. The group together weigh 1.8 T. oz. All the interiors are finished in a gold wash. Marked only "Sterling" on the undersides, there is no identification as to maker, but they are clearly American. Their hammered surfaces done in the Arts & Crafts style suggests a date in the first quarter of the 20th century.... Click for details

Old Friends  
1569fe   $ 70

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In pristine condition, and without a monogram or removal, this original example of Alvin's Art Nouveau "Old Orange Blossom" measures 6" long and weighs a relatively heavy 1.2 T. oz. It is marked with the finely lettered words "Patent" and "Sterling" as would be expected, along with the three part Alvin emblem. All the elements of the floral design retain their sharply defined and detailed elements, including those that so artfully extend onto the scallop shaped bowl. The shoulders have slight... Click for details

Old Friends  
1568f   $ 110

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This example of Tuttle's "Hannah Hull" is unusual in that it has an overall hammered surface as opposed to the usual smooth finish of the pattern. It is an early piece in the line, produced during the second year of Herbert Hoover's administration, i.e. 1930, within the time span of the Arts & Crafts movement, and likely influenced by that style. The "HH II" inside a crescent mark on the reverse is a date indicator. Other marks include the Tuttle emblem, and the word "Sterling." This is a 6"... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2134   $225.00

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round upturned end with full front midrib and thirteen-lobed shell drop, length 4 5/8 inches, engraved with initials "D N", weight .32 oz Troy, some annoying abrasions in bowl but very good overall condition.

Faithful readers of our little web page know we never tire of mentioning that Burt was a substantial and by all reports jovial fellow who weighed three hundred and eighty pounds.

Old Friends  
1567fa   $ 135

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Measuring 5 1/8" long and weighing not quite .4 T. oz. (11 grams), this marrow spoon is unusual for its size. It is essentially a miniature version of a form that is typically much larger, often twice as long and proportionally wider and heavier. It is English in origin, with hallmarks for sterling, a date letter for 1812, a regent's head, and "SA" for London maker Stephen Adams. It is an Old English design with a down turned, reverse tipt end. The front of the handle is engraved in a period... Click for details

Old Friends  
1566fw   $ 185

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Fully stamped for London, sterling, and a date letter "r" for 1912, this item is also impressed "Drew & Sons, Piccadilly Circus," and "S.S.D" over "E.D" in a shield for Samuel Summers and Ernest Drew. A high end retailer, this company apparently traded in leather goods, personal items, luggage, pen sets, and silver items (cited as beginning in 1887). Sources indicate S.S. Drew himself retired or died in 1914, so this dates from his tenure, a high point for the firm. It is a 3" high by... Click for details

Old Friends  
1563fa   $ 165

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Commonly referenced as a claret spoon, one reliable online source prefers to identify this 11 3/4" long, 2.6 T. oz., piece as a lemonade soon, while another suggests it was intended for a mixture of fruits and berries soaked in alcohol, in the manner of sangria, rather than wine. Indeed, the 3" long, 1 3/4" at the widest, bowl on this would be too large and sharply angled to fit in a claret decanter, but it would fit a pitcher. It was made by Arthur Stone whose "hammer over name" mark appears ... Click for details

Old Friends  
1562fw   $ 725 set

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Marked with both Philadelphia's George Sharp's "double lion and S" and "Patent" marks as well as "Tiffany & Co.," this salad serving fork and spoon have a double provenance that bespeaks the finest of mid 19th century silver manufacturing and retailing. Curiously, they are not stamped "Sterling," which standard Tiffany typically required in the 1860's from which they date, so they are possibly coin silver rather than sterling. They are exceptionally large items, with the fork measuring 10 3/4"... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2133   $75.00

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length 5 5/8 inches, weight .45 oz. Troy, pointed downturned end with rounded drop and thirteen-lobed shell below, excellent condition, monogrammed "B".

Come ye citizens of Portsmouth and reclaim thy heritage!!

Old Friends  
1560f   $ 375

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The size of a sugar bowl, this piece may once have been part of a tea set, although it certainly stands on its own. The lowest portion measures 3 7/8" across at the widest, has a footed base that is 2 1/4" in diameter, rises 2 1/2" to the rim, and weighs 4.8 T. oz. It has a fitted, 4" diameter lid, is 2 3/8" high to the top of the finial, and weighs 3.3 T. oz. The total height of the piece with the cover in place is 4 1/2". It is clearly and fully marked on the underside for sterling, London... Click for details

Old Friends  
1559fa   $ 60

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This 5 1/16" long, just under .6 T. oz., egg spoon is fully marked for sterling (seated Britannia), Dublin, 1834, and with a maker's mark of "PW" for Peter Weeks whose dates correspond with the piece. It has an "eagle with upraised wings" crest on the front, and the initials "J.D" inscribed at the join with the bowl on the reverse. It is in very good condition. They form is excellent, with no bends, breaks, or burrs. There is some overall softening of detail from polishing. The bowl is well... Click for details

Old Friends  
1558fl   $ 32 HOLD

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A turn of the 20th century design, "Helena" is an early offering in the Blackinton line patterns. It is highly embellished with scrolls, beading, acanthus leaves, and hatch marks, all fully emblematic of late Victorian design. The bowl is especially artful, with a scalloped edge, decorated flanged rim, and stylized shell interior. It is pierced and finished in a deep, bronze colored, gold wash. The piece is in mint condition, and there is no monogram or removal. Apart from slight loss of go... Click for details

Old Friends  
1557fl   $ 35

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Measuring 4 3/4" long and weighing .6 T. oz., this piece was made by Gorham. The pattern is "Lancaster" sometimes referred to as "Lancaster Rose," reflecting the rose cluster that adorns the end of the beaded border handle. The size of a bon bon, the bowl does not match the lattice work pattern of the bon bon illustrated in the early Gorham catalogs. It is in fact more refined and this may technically be a nut or almond spoon. The edge is scalloped and the interior has a variety of piercings... Click for details