Best, his 2 brothers and father were early silversmiths in Cincinnati. This spoon was made during the period he was associated with Deterly and Woodruff, from 1815-17. It has a downturnd fiddle handle, pointed shoulders, and is 9-1/2" long. This piece was never engraved. It is in excellent condition with just a touch of tipwear.

Double-swell fiddle handle, script mono E M on reverse, 7-3/8" long. Heavy set of spoons, at just under 9 T. oz. Condition is near-mint. Also marked on back "Fine" (see pic).

Retailed by F.A. & L. Lesouereux of Columbus, made by Whiting Mfg. Co. -- forward tipt fiddle handle, sugarloaf shoulders, 5-1/2" long, 2.75 T oz. Mono on front in script is Nancy Mark. Condition, after 150 years, is excellent.

This is S&F's Antique pattern introduced in 1878 -- kidney-shaped bowl (see pic), florid gothic mono C on front; 13" long, 4" x 3-1/4" bowl. Weight is a robust 7 T oz. Condition is near-mint.

Set consists of 3 pieces: pot, sugar bowl and creamer -- cast basket-of-flower finials on pot and sugar, amidst repousse shells and flowers on domed lids (see pix). Each piece has an 8-lobed body, with applied bands at shoulder and base; the set has never been engraved. Pot is 10-1/2" high x 11-3/8 across handle and spout. Total weight is 73 Troy oz.

Round bowl with matte gold-washed interior, on round pedestal base; applied leaf-&-berry bands at rim and base; engraved in script on side of bowl: Nelly/Jan. 17th, 1872. Marked on bottom: Ball, Black & Co., New York; also marked: 202/ English Sterling. Compote is 8" in diameter, 6-1/8" high, and weighs 18.5 Troy oz. Condition throughout is excellent.

Slender tapering pointed-end handle, c1790 --prominent reverse rib, block mono S * B on front; 5" in length. Condition of both bird and spoon is mint. Heck's bird is quite different from others; it's probably unique. The bird stands on a leafy branch, facing right with a leafy branch in its beak. All of its parts, feathers, etc., are intact.

Pinched-waist fiddle handle, pointed shoulders, script mono M A on front; 8-1/2" long, a bit over 1 T oz. Condition is excellent. Marked with Whiting lion, COIN and by the retailer, Bassett & Elliott. The pinched-wast fiddle originated in the Midwest, probably with the Kinsey boys or Duhme, yet examples by Whiting are fairly common. Why? One suggestion is that Whiting's manufacturing and sales organization could out-compete the local companies.

Forward-tipt fiddle handle, flared shoulders, old English mono M.M. on front; 8-1/2" in length. Condition is excellent. Cutten & Peacock, in their book, "Silversmiths of North Carolina," assumed that the N-C included in the maker's mark meant that Hanna was from NC. Not so, as it turns out.

Downturned fiddle handle, flared shoulders, reverse tipt, script mono O. L. Bailey on front; 6-3/4" long. Condition is excellent. Marked with Westerveldt's Lion, Star and D.

Retailed by Hyde & Bettys in Auburn, NY. Forward-tipt fiddle handle, high flared shoulders, feathered script I E W on front; 5-3/8". Condition is excellent.

Typical midwest pinched-waist fiddle handles, pointed shoulders, feathered script mono JMcA on one pair, BNA on the other pair. Length is 7-3/8", weight is 4.5 Troy oz. Condition is near mint, extended bowl tips unworn.