Catalog: Silver: Sterling

length 7 1/8 inches, weight 7.63 Troy ounces the lot, monogrammed as shown in second enlargement, marked "H & S STERLING" and "Watts."

When it comes to condition, what separates the men from the boys, or the women from the girls (Don Soeffing describes the figure as "somewhat androgynous," so let's honor that!) is the clarity of the ivy garland. Have a look at our third photo and we think you'll agree that these comport themselves rather well...

Gardner, MA circa 1921, Craftsman Arthur Hartwell, length 7 3/4 inches across the handle, weight 9.51 Troy ounces, some scratches as shown in fourth enlargement but very good overall condition.

Let's answer the most obvious question first: Is this the same family whose name graces a certain ravine in New Hampshire's White Mountains which is beloved by back country skiers in search of an adrenaline rush? Yes indeed it is...

length 6 7/8 inches, monogram "F", excellent condition, weight 9 oz. Troy, marked with Alvin trademark; "Sterling" and "Patent".

These are find, old pieces with excellent detail and die depth.

order numbers 170 (datemark for 1900) and S2902 (datemark obscured), height 3 3/4 inches, weight 4.42 oz. Troy, no monogram, a few very minor dents here and there but excellent overall condition.

with engraved ivy and tendrils. Frequent visitors to our little web page know that we're not in the habit of featuring "as is" items, but these have substantial merit even with their condition problem. Height 2 1/4; diameter of ring 1 5/8+ inches, subtly monogrammed "J.W.H." and "A.A.H." (please see second photo), weight 3.47 oz Troy the pair.

Allow me to begin by saying all the things it's not: 1) Ashbee 2) Knox 3) Liberty 4) perfect.

And now, let's move along to cheerier thoughts...

London, 1893, maker William Richard Corke; retailed by A. Barrett & Sons, height 4 3/8 inches, weight 21.3 grams or if you'd prefer .68 oz Troy, excellent condition, no monogram.

For Victorian era bookmark collectors, I daresay that this is the sine qua non.

length 5 3/4 inches, weight 7.37 Troy ounces, excellent condition, marked and monogrammed as shown in enlargements. Although these don't have the "h" weight designation, they are exceptionally heavy for their size.

Compare on the Big Bad Auction site (item 154699050597) @89.00 each!

length 6 inches, some slight wear to shell (reverse) where it meets the table, see photo number four, but fine overall condition, monogram EJA (?) script obverse, weight 9.08 oz Troy the set, retailed by William Wise & Son.

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 8 3/4 inches, weight 7.3 Troy ounces, no monogram, a few minor scuffs in gilding of bowl which we've greatly exaggerated in photo number three and a tiny nick in the nose (reverse of spoon; see fourth image) but exemplary overall condition, no monogram...

length 5 5/8 inches, total Troy weight a hefty 7.10 ounces, excellent condition, monogrammed as shown in third enlargement.

For those of you who wonder what that unusual symbol between the Whiting trademark and "sterling" might mean, we suspect that is a letter h inside a circle, meaning 'heavy,' since these weigh a bit more than the average Lily butter spreader...

a rare, diminutive example, 3 1/8 X 1 7/8 X just under 1/2 inches, weight 2.3 Troy ounces.

It is an unusual pleasure to find an object which is engraved ("J. Diprose, EsqR / from J.J.G. Bombay") with both a name and a location, to lend it an added sense of history.

This item is superb in both design and execution. Though we always hesitate to say "flawless condition," one would be hard-pressed to find fault...

maker Francis Jones, length 13 5/8 inches, weight 6.29 Troy ounces.

It's possible that this piece has had an erasure, but if so, it's subtle and difficult to distinguish. However, the overall presentation is excellent, and so is the price!

with embossed Biblical scene of Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac, complete with the Angel of the Lord imploring him “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God...", height five; diameter 2.5 inches, weight 2.49 Troy ounces, Hebrew description of the scene as shown in third enlargement (the first word is "Avraham," and you're on your own for the rest)...

height 2; diameter 6 1/2 inches, weight 7.31 troy ounces, no monogram, some light scratches at bottom as shown but fine overall condition, see third enlargement for mark.

In the Boston School of early 20th century Art & Crafts silver, it is much more common to see this type of "lotus" bowl in copper than in silver. We are pleased to provide this scarce example.

length fifteen inches, weight 5.67 Troy ounces, excellent condition, monogrammed and marked as shown in enlargements 3 & 4. The bowl remains most of its original gilding and is uniform in color.

For those of you who are fans of comparison shopping, see item 293457665513 over there on the Auction-Site-Which-Must-not-be-Named, @700.00

length 9 3/4 inches, weight 2.67 Troy ounces, engraved "from Mother" as shown in fourth enlargement.

Sadly, back in 1890 or so, "Mother" decided that she didn't want the giftees to know the identity of the original owner, and had their monogram wiped out. If you can live with this, then here's an opportunity to own a sturdy and useful piece of this desirable Gorham pattern at an attractive price.