Old Friends  
1467fl   $ 95

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Made by John L. Westervelt of Newburgh, NY and stamped with the retail mark of "Champney & Smitten" of Brooklyn, NY, this sterling silver berry spoon measures 8 1/2" long and weighs approximately 2.1 T. oz. The pattern is "Ivy," a mid 19th century design that was one of Westervelt's most successful. It is double die struck, meaning the design appears on both sides of the handle. It incorporates carefully articulated ivy set against a somewhat Gothic inspired ground. The bowl is an elongated ... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2117   $595.00

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length 12 5/8 inches, weight 8.69 Troy ounces, monogrammed "L" (script, obverse), some light wear and minor scratches in bowl but fine overall condition and truly a grand old piece of Tiffany flatware which unlike others of its kind won't set you back a grand, and then some...

Gebelein  
4992   $75

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Rounded end tipt on back. Length 9-1/8". Weight 2.1 troy ounces. The monogram is an Old English M. Overall condition is excellent. Mark condition is very good.

Old Friends  
1460fw   $ 24 each, four available

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Later produced under the Mount Vernon nameplate, "Queen" originated with Howard of Providence, Rhode Island, and it is in fact Howard's four leaf clover mark that appears on this example. It is a 4 13/16" long, relatively heavy .4 T. oz., three tine strawberry fork. The pattern is distinguished by its robust leafy scroll border surmounted by a shell and a crown terminal. The backside has an Old English "E" monogram and in addition to the Howard mark, includes the words "Sterling," and "Pat. 1... Click for details

Old Friends  
1458f   $ 65

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Model number "435" made by Gorham, a similar companion piece numbered "437" appears in the company catalog of 1892 (see image 2). Measuring 4 3/8" long and weighing just under 1.0 T. oz., this form is sometimes identified as a tea caddy spoon, but the catalog illustration establishes it as a bon bon spoon. Such pieces were higher order in the Gorham stable and extra effort was invested in their design and production. They are also generally heavier than comparable pieces in full line patterns... Click for details

Old Friends  
1448f   $ 60 each, two available

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This 6 1/8" long, slightly over .7 T. oz., spoon is an unexpected design produced by an unexpected source. The handle is an open spiral, something akin to a square twist such as Whiting and other manufacturers produced, but apart from that it is unique in the realm of late 19th silver flatware design. The handle has an overall hammered surface, with a rough end suggesting a torn or broken natural form. Indeed, this naturalistic, i.e. Aesthetic, sensibility carries over to all aspects of the p... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2115   $750.00

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length 9 5/8 inches, weight 4.86 Troy ounces, monogrammed "M" (obverse, Old English), gilt tines with a bit of table wear to gold wash on underside but excellent overall condition.

Most American silver manufacturers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries offered some variant of the Chrysanthemum pattern. As faithful readers of our little web page will know, here is my favorite one of them all. Perhaps ... Click for details

Old Friends  
1441f   $ 65

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Whiting's "Empire" dates from 1894 and features a columnar border leading to a rosette and fan or shell end. This latter motif is repeated where the handle joins the bowl and the entire terminal design is repeated in enlarged form in the heel of the bowl. This item is a 5 3/4" long, .8 T. oz., confection or bon bon spoon. The form resembles a nut spoon with its reticulated, shell-like bowl, but this is larger and asymmetrical. It has a broadened and flattened lower edge for scooping bon bons... Click for details

Old Friends  
1440f   $ 80

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Items such of this 8 3/8" long table or serving spoon are rapidly disappearing from the open market place given the rise in the price of silver in recent years. Part of the appeal of a pattern line like 1896's "Marchel Niel" by Durgin, lies in its exceptional weight, 2.4 T. oz. in this instance, and that amount of silver has high value simply as a commodity, i.e. for "melt." Apart from its heft, Marechal Niel is an outstanding design. It offers a high relief, multi-dimensional portraiture of ... Click for details

Old Friends  
1439f   $ 65

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Dating from 1892, Towle's "Princess" is an asymmetrical floral (forget-me-not?) and scroll pattern. It is precisely rendered, with well-defined, raised detail on both sides of the handle. This example is a 5 3/4" long, heavy feeling, 1.0 T. oz., five tine sardine fork. The scrolled shoulder serving end has a matte gold finish. The front of the handle has a reserve area which is free of a monogram or removal; the backside is inscribed "C.H.B." in script. The condition is mint. The piece sho... Click for details

Bruce Cherner Antique Silver  
2112   $250.00

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length 9 1/2 inches, weight 3.73 Troy ounces, ornate three letter script monogram "AES" (?), excellent condition, with elaborate Art Nouveau piercings above the tines.

Old Friends  
1432f   $ 55 multiples available

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One of a line of several figural Art Nouveau designs issued by Unger around the turn of the 20th century, "Cupid's Nosegay" disguises the faces of four cherubic figures set amidst an array of iris blossoms and leaves. This example is a 5 3/4" long, just under 1.0 T. oz., teaspoon. It is in flawless condition, and absent a monogram or removal. Marks are "Copyright 1904" and "Sterling." The Unger Brothers emblem is impressed right at the heel where the handle joins at an angle, and is some obs... Click for details

Old Friends  
1431fl   HOLD

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Similar in look to Durgin's 1887 "Alcazar" but more elaborate, the pattern on this 9 1/2" long and heavy, 4.7 T. oz., asparagus server is an identified but unnamed pattern in that company's lineup. The handle is highly elaborated and fully articulated on both the front and back sides of the handle. The design is rococo, featuring scrolls and leaves asymmetrically arrayed, with large areas of open work between them. There are saw marks on the inner surfaces of the reticulation, suggesting this... Click for details

Old Friends  
1428f   $ 145

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The "Shell" line of sterling silver flatware was produced by Stieff on behalf of Colonial Williamsburg which offered the line exclusively through its store and catalog. It is described in a 1970's catalog as "based on an assembled set of English, Georgian flatware in the Colonial Williamsburg collection. It dates from about 1760. The raised shell on each piece is characteristic of the period, and is found on many English produced items during the middle years of the eighteen century." This i... Click for details

Old Friends  
1425f   $ 85

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Measuring 8 1/2" long and weighing 1.5 T. oz., this sterling silver berry spoon carries a retail stamp for "J.S. MacDonald" of Baltimore, but no maker's mark. It has a stylized diamond cut engraved handle with a satin matte background. There is a fancy "CMK" script monogram. The bowl is ovoid with notched edges. It has a floral engraved, again bright cut, design on the interior set against a pale gold satin matte surface. The back of the handle has a reverse tipt end and is otherwise plain ... Click for details

Old Friends  
1423f   $ 45

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Measuring 5 5/8" long and weighing a relatively heavy 1.0 T. oz., this three tine fork is suggestive of an oyster or seafood fork, but has a different and singular tine configuration. There are three tines, with the lower one exceptionally wide and having a beveled edge, while the other two are narrow and pointed. Two function possibilities are an escargot or a cheese fork. The maker was Dominick and Haff and the pattern is that company's old version "Louis XIV" dating from 1888. It is doubl... Click for details