Gorham "Cottage" 1861 Ladle, San Francisco Retailer

J.W. Tucker was a noted and successful San Francisco retailer with dates from the 1850's to the 1880's. It is an ongoing matter of how much silver was made by the prominent California houses, and how much was simply retailed by those firms, but Tucker seems largely to have been a marketeer. This 12 1/2" long, heavy, 6.7 T. oz., large bowl soup ladle is an example of his enterprising ways in introducing sophisticated items to San Francisco, as it was made by East Coast manufacturer Gorham, of Providence, Rhode Island. The pattern is "Cottage," which was patented in 1861, as marked on the reverse, along with Gorham's lion, anchor, G, and Tucker's stamps. It is to a coin silver standard, so it dates no later than March, 1868 when Gorham shifted to sterling. It is in outstanding condition, without a monogram, and has a fine finish.