Catalog: Silver: Coin Silver

Baltimore circa 1850. Length 9 1/8 inches, weight 1.71 Troy ounces, attractive floral engraving, monogrammed "Clintonia."

We've checked the big bad auction site, and can't find anything similar there for under one hundred mighty dollars, so if you're a reseller, there's a good chance that you'll be able to make enough on this to buy a minor league sports team, or at the very least a small yacht.

Philadelphia circa 1825, length 3 1/2 inches, weight .81 oz. Troy, monogrammed "JLH" in period script with flourishes. With pointed, chamfered shoulders and a flat portion at tip, these are in excellent condition and of above average quality.

Often referred to as "snuff spoons," they may also have been intended for use in children's play. We'll stay safe and simply call them miniature.

length 10 1/4 inches, weight 3.2 Troy ounces, monogrammed as shown, excellent original condition. A similar ladle with applied medallion in rounded section of the handle sold at South Bay (4/18/2017; lot 195), which leads us to believe that this item was both manufactured and retailed by Newell Harding, thought Wendt is certainly a possibility.

The gilt, ruffled bowl is a tour-de-force of Victorian era engraving. Please see our third enlargement for a better view.

Philadelphia circa 1867, length nine inches, weight 4.06 Troy ounces, excellent condition, with massive realistically cast claw ends; bright cut and engine turned decoration, monogrammed "m".

We've owned many similar tongs over the years, but these are distinguished by the cross hatched detail inside the grasping area, which is both pleasing to the eye and practical for levitating your ice cubes.

Philadelphia circa 1790, from the same service as item 0867 although the bright cut decoration is slightly different in execution, length 9 1/4 inches, immaculate condition.

New Orleans circa 1858, length 8 3/4 inches, some minor dents in bowls but no tip wear, good overall condition, weight 2.94 Troy ounces, monogrammed "F.M.P." (script, obverse). Items bearing the mark of L. Simons (see second photo) would appear to be scarce.

round downturned ends with short back midrib decoration and raised arch drops, length 8 3/4 inches, weight 4.14 Troy ounces the pair, some very light wear to engraving but fine overall condition, marked as shown in fifth enlargement with Vernon's distinctive pseudo-hallmarks.

Collecting early American silver does not have to be an overly expensive proposition, although you could also find similar spoons on ebay (item 274673082801) @195.00 each!

NY circa 1790, bright cut borders with oval cartouche, elongated bowls with raised oval drops, length 8 3/4 inches, weight 3.13 Troy ounces the pair, marked and monogrammed as shown in enlargements. There is some softening to the decoration, but the bowls are largely free of tip wear and both spoons are in very good overall condition...

Whitingham circa 1800, length 5 5/8 inches, total Troy weight .79 oz., very good condition, period script mono (obverse) and a slightly later one (reverse), marked as shown in third enlargement.

Notable as birthplace of Brigham Young, the town was a mere thirty years old when these spoons were made. We marvel a bit that such a small, rural spot could support its own silversmith, and can't help but suspect that he dabbled in other trades.

height 7 1/8 inches, weight 5.52 Troy ounces, fine condition, monogrammed as shown in third enlargement.

This mark is commonly given to Saunders Pitman, but we are not so certain that it is his. For example, though the Met attributes a cream jug in their collection (accession number 33.120.311) to Saunders, some might consider this attribution to be problematic, since he'd been dead for a good solid forty years when it was made.

Other reasonable possibilities would include John K...

length 7 5/8 inches, weight 1.84 Troy ounces, monogrammed as shown in second enlargement, gilt bowl, outstanding original condition. Concerning the engraving, both the quality of design and the execution are far above average.

Marked only "coin," back in the day we would have hastened to read through many musty issues of "Silver Magazine" in order to find the maker of this fine ladle, but now, in our dotage, we will leave this task to you, dear reader.

circa 1860, with hollow handle and finely engraved flat all silver blade; marked "R & W WILSON" in rectangle; length 11 1/2 inches; engraved "Woelpper" on reverse of blade, good condition although the edge is a bit rough (please see second enlargement).

with short back midrid (a/k/a reverse fiddle tip't), pointed chamfered shoulders and a pronounced "flat" at leading edge, length 9 inches, weight 2.23 Troy ounces, monogrammed as shown. There is a small imperfection on back of bowl (see third photo) but otherwise fine condition.

We often speak of the "hallmarks" on American silver, but it is worth noting that very few pieces are actually hallmarked. This one bears the Baltimore assay office stamps commonly associated with 1824.

retailer, with arrow - W - monarch maker's mark, length six inches, with short front midrib and pointy shoulders, monogrammed "Lewis".

These are substantial and well made spoons, weighing in at 4.69 oz. Troy, the lot. The overall condition is excellent. Whether any of this lends them a premium over the silver value, or whether they'll be swallowed up by the smelter's gaping maw remains to be seen...

length 7 5/8 inches, monogrammed "F.E. Dean", maker J.B. & Co (possibly Jones Ball & Co, Boston circa 1850). Most of the handles have the usual pinprick dents which one might expect in knives from this period; two have some larger dings which we've shown in photo number five. The blades are in fine condition.

New York circa 1750, with round upturned end, spatulate midrib, long elliptical bowl and molded drop, length 7 3/4 inches, weight 1.72 oz. Troy.

There is slight tip wear from right handed use, a few minor insults to the bowl (including a scratch, reverse), and significant wear to the monogram "B / E * E". On the whole, however, this spoon presents itself well. To quote Quimby in American Silver at Winterthur, "Stoutenburgh left a small body of high quality work"...

of regional interest, length 8 1/4 inches, monogrammed "L.J.K." (script, obverse), fine condition. This broad fiddle pattern is typical of the Louisville/Cincinatti region. Marked "J.S. & S. COIN"; see second photo.

circa 1840. Tipt double swell fiddle handle, no monogram, length 7 1/4 inches, weight .87 oz. Troy, good condition. For those who collect VT silver, finding the town mark (please see third enlargement) along with the maker is an unexpected pleasure.

Roswell Hopkins Bailey was born in Unity, NH on July 22, 1804. At or near the time this spoon was made, he served as master to two apprentices: first Samuel Philbrick Bailey, then Bradbury Melon Bailey...