N. Harding (Boston) Applied Medallion Coin Berry Spoon

In his 1988 foundational work "Silver Medallion Flatware," D. Albert Soeffing describes this medallion made by Boston's Newell Harding as "one of the 'naive' types," and he adds, "as such, [it] bears its own charm." This particular piece belies a naive label in either design or manufacturing sophistication, especially given its early 1860's date. It is an 8 3/4" long, 1.9 T. oz., berry spoon, and exhibits considerable intricacy of execution. It has a twist stem, deep coffered bowl with scalloped edges, and extensive engraving. The high relief medallion is cast and applied, and of design merit. The backside is plain, and stamped only "Coin." The condition is excellent. The bowl is free of dings, dents, or burrs. The medallion shows slight softening from polishing on the high spots, but retains excellent detail on balance. The twist stem is straight, and the finish is pleasing.