Catalog: Silver: Sterling: Flatware

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!!

with squared chamfered shoulders and oval drop, length 8 1/2 inches, weight 1.93 Troy ounces, some light and faded scratches in bowl but fine overall condition, monogrammed as shown, fully marked.

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 5 5/8+ inches, weight 3.67 Troy ounces, superb original condition, gilt bowls, engraved (reverse) 1883 as shown in enlargements.

Those folks who Replace your stuff have given this pattern the prosaic name of "WHS9", but we don't believe them for a minute. Engraved patterns such as this, if they had a name, were often known by number, for example "Antique Engraved number 7." They involved hours of skilled, exacting work by craftsmen who were paid more than most of their peers...

length 10 1/8 inches, weight 3.34 Troy ounces, ornate four letter script monogram on reverse, excellent condition.

The blade features a restrained and well executed bit of engraving (please see third enlargement) with brite-cut foliage and shaded flowers.

or jelly cake knife, if you'd prefer, length 9 1/8 inches, weight 1.84 oz. Troy, excellent condition save for a long shallow scratch on reverse of blade (please see second enlargement), monogrammed in script on reverse.

The obverse features a refined bit of engraving, done by a skilled and steady hand.

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...