Catalog: Silver: Sterling: Flatware

Philadelphia circa 1790, a fine, large and massive piece, length 14 inches, length of bowl five inches, weight 6.87 Troy ounces, marked JA struck twice in cut cornered rectangle. There is a minor fill at the edge of the bowl (please see fifth photo) and some scratches on reverse, but excellent overall condition.

This spoon is not monogrammed and does not appear ever to have been, which is most unusual for early American silver.

a sugar sifter length 7 1/8 inches; weight 1.74 oz. Troy, and a scalloped engraved bowl preserve spoon length 9 inches; weight 2 Troy ounces. Both pieces are marked only "STERLING," (attributed to Wendt) have fully gilt matte finish bowls and are in immaculate condition. We do not recall having seen this pattern before.

with high relief cast bust of Van Dyck, length 9 inches, weight 3.24 Troy ounces, no monogram. Truly one of Antoine Heller's greatest designs, and among Gorham's most sculptural patterns.

There is a file cut (visible from side and reverse only; see fourth photo) which we've pictured in excruciating detail, and some light pitting on the blade which we've mostly polished out and probably will address a bit more, as time allows. Aside from this, the condition is excellent.

engraved "Kansas City" in bowl, length 5 7/8 inches, weight 1.30 Troy ounces, excellent condition.

Place pieces are much rarer than servers in this grand old Durgin pattern whose name is a subject of some disagreement, which leads me to believe that not many were produced.

length 8 3/8 inches, weight 3.09 Troy ounces, no monogram, slight wear to gilding on tines but very nearly benchmark condition, retailed by Sheafer and Lloyd of Pittsburgh.

This pattern has always been a personal favorite. Note the expressiveness of the eyes, which you may examine up close in photo number three.

Gale & Mosely, New York circa 1830, double struck-- for the uninitiated, this means the pattern is both front and back, length just shy of 8 1/2 inches, some very slight tine wear on a few (we've pictured the worst one in enlargement number four) but superb overall condition, weight 30.74 Troy ounces (!!) or 2.79 each on average, no monogram.

One would be hard-pressed indeed to find a better set of dinner forks.

length six inches, weight 1.00 Troy ounces, no monogram, excellent condition, retailed by Wendell & Roberts.

Silver scholar and author D. Albert Soeffing describes this portrait as "a rather plain woman," and though it lacks the sophistication of some Medallions, there is a certain undeniable charm to her face. A great entry level item for the budding silver collector, should such a creature still exist...

length 5 1/8 inches, weight .47 oz. Troy, monogrammed "M.F.W.", fine condition with traces of original gilding on bowl and along handle.

One of these days, a more scholarly colleague will reveal the true name of this pattern...

Length 5 7/8 inches, weight 1.18 Troy ounces, excellent condition, monogrammed "B" (obverse, Old English).

One of Frank Smith's better designs, and one of Yours Truly's favorite patterns...

length 7 3/4 inches, three letter script monogram (reverse) as shown in enlargement number five, exceptionally fine condition, weight 1.36 oz. Troy, the blade well engraved with trailing bellflower decoration.

length 8 1/4 inches, weight 4.85 Troy ounces, design detail in fine condition, bowl retains more than half of its original gilding, monogrammed as shown. Retailed by Boston's own late lamented Bigelow Kennard & Company, a fine, elegant store which many of my customers are old enough to remember with affection...

length 12 7/8 inches, weight 4.11 Troy ounces, no monogram, excellent condition.

With the added cachet (we were going to say "snob appeal", but then remembered that our faithful readers, all two of them who remain, aren't snooty) of a Cartier retailer's mark.

Bought new, it costs just about as much as a small Mercedes, but here what a deal!!

length 7 5/8 inches, weight 1.37 Troy ounces (each), monogrammed as shown, fine condition, scarce.

length 10 3/8 inches, weight 3.48 Troy ounces, no monogram, excellent condition.

As our friend Don Soeffing has recounted in "The Battle of the Birds" (Silver Magazine, November/December 1995), production of this pattern was short lived, because W & H lost this particular battle against Tiffany for infringement of their design pattern...

length 3 3/4 inches, weight .77 oz. Troy, no monogram, fine condition.

May I offer our apologies, dear reader, for having previously catalogued these as "Acorn"? Old age is taking its toll, here.

retailed by Hardy & Hayes, length 7 3/8 inches, weight 15 Troy ounces, monogrammed "C", fine condition.

If pressed as to why you, dear reader, should buy these Iris fish forks as opposed to some others listed elsewhere on the interwebz, I'd have to say that ours are probably in better condition. If pressed even harder, I'd confess that these are also attractively priced.

length 5 1/4 inches, weight 1.0 oz Troy, excellent condition, no monogram.

This piece is not commonly found.

length 5 7/8 inches, monogrammed as shown, very light pattern wear but fine overall condition, weight 1.38 Troy ounces, and as we say here in Boston, "it's a baaahgin."

Compare our price with the folks who Replace your stuff @70.00