Coin silver cake basket by Gale & Son, NYC, 1856

Oval form, 13-1/2" x 8-3/4", with applied twisted "rope" bands at rim and pedestal base, with rope handles at either end (see pic). This piece was never engraved and is in near-mint condition; it weighs 17 Troy oz. The date it was made is cited in the usual Gale signature; it is also marked "Sterling," an affectation of the mid-19thC, as there were no assay offices in the U.S. until about 1865.