Catalog: Silver

New York circa 1825, length 12 1/2 inches, weight 4.52 Troy ounces, monogrammed "M" in period script with flourishes. There is a slight abrasion above the initial, and some very minor scratches in bowl as shown in enlargements three and four but the overall condition is outstanding.

Maltby Pelletreau was the second generation of this illustrious silversmithing family. His partnership with Bennett and Cook lasted only three years, so the date range for this item is pleasantly narrow...

height 1 7/8; top diameter 2 inches, no monogram, weight 2.6 Troy ounces, excellent condition, marked as shown. Just the right size to hold a healthy belt of scotch...

This piece bears the craftsman's mark of both Robert Bean and Fletcher Carter. Also, let's give a shout out to the good folks at ONC, still going strong in Amesbury after one hundred years, who were kind enough to identify this cup as the "Roly Poly cordial."

height 11; bottom diameter five, length across handle to spout 9 inches, weight 47.5 Troy ounces, retailed by Theodore Starr (maker's mark effaced) and monogrammed as shown. We always hesitate to say that an item is in "perfect" condition, but I am hard pressed to find fault with this one...

London 1778, height 4 3/4; diameter 3 1/4 inches, weight 3.67 Troy ounces, a few very minor dents which won't show up in photos but fine overall condition (there's a bit of distress to the tip-- see fourth photo-- greatly enlarged here), monogrammed as shown.

The perfect gift for your wine loving friend, who will appreciate that the muslin ring remains present, when the time comes to decant that special bottle of port...

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...

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!!

height 12 3/8 inches to top of handle; 11 1/2 to top of spout, eight lobed body with ornate floral chasing and helmet spout, weight 26 Troy ounces, some light wear to high points and a few very minor dents (these will not photograph) but fine overall condition, engraved "Presented by the Fire Department of Williamsburgh to Andrew B...

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 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 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...

height 3 1/8; top diameter 5 inches, weight 6.14 Troy ounces, no monogram, excellent condition.

Similar in design and construction to its larger cousin known as the "Louvre Bowl," (see Drucker, p. 188) because it is in the permanent collection of that institution.

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 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...

height 1 3/4; diameter of base 2 1/4 inches, weight 3.28 Troy ounces, excellent condition, discreetly monogrammed on the underside as shown in photos three and four.

These are perfectly plumb, but wide angle distortion has caused one to look a bit akilter, and for this we must apologize, dear reader.

Phineas Mitchell, Boston circa 1820, length six inches, weight 1.39 Troy ounces, excellent condition, monogrammed as shown in enlargement number three.

Long enough to be used for either ice or crudités. Note shell back decoration on spoon ends, which lifts these out of the realm of the mundane and into that of the "above average."

Canton circa 1825, double struck fiddle thread and shell with classic "inset vee" or "Chevron" seam construction, length 11 7/8 inches, weight 6.9 Troy ounces, a minor test mark as shown in enlargement number four but outstanding overall condition, no monogram.

For related items by this maker, see Forbes figure 61c and Chait number 251. This is the first China Trade strainer spoon we've encountered in the course of twenty eight years...

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.

circa 1955, .833 standard, height 3 1/8 inches, weight 2.67 Troy ounces, excellent condition, no monogram. A very charming little owl indeed.