Catalog: Silver: Coin Silver

Offered is a fine and rare pair of early American coin silver sugar tongs by the celebrated Philadelphia partnership of Lewis & Smith. Harvey Lewis and Joseph D. Smith worked in partnership from about 1805 to 1811, and produced some of the most finely executed and beautifully engraved silver of their era. Many examples of their excellent hollowware and flatware are extant in public collections.

This piece measures about 6 3/4 inches in length, and weighs about 54 grams...

For your consideration is an interesting late 18th Century style American coin silver spoon, marked "W (pellet) D". This mark has been attributed by Catherine Hollan to Wilson Dalzell (mark B) in her book on South Carolina silversmiths. This spoon measures about 4 15/16 inches in length and weighs about 8 grams...

Offered is a nice American coin silver cream or sauce ladle by well-known silversmith Newell Matson, who worked at various times in NY, OH, IL and WI. This piece is engraved 'Cushman' for the original owner, and has a clear maker's mark. This piece measures about 5 7/8 inches in length and weighs about 17 grams. Condition is excellent, with minimal wear and no dents, splits or repairs. All in all a nice little coin silver service piece!

Another mystery piece and mark, at least to me! Perhaps I've overlooked something obvious about this crested silver cream ladle, circa 1810-25, but I am assuming it to be American coin silver, probably from the New England region. However, I've had no luck tracking down a potential maker, despite a good maker's mark with relatively uncommon initials. The maker's mark is a crude "SL", indicating perhaps more provincial or small-town manufacture, though this is not dispositive...

Offered is a gorgeous pair of American coin silver sugar tongs by noted silversmith Harvey Lewis (1783-1835), working in Philadelphia circa 1805-11 in partnership as Lewis & Smith, and working alone in Philadelphia circa 1812-25, before his health declined and he gave up silversmithing. Despite a shorter working career, Harvey Lewis established himself as one of the leading silversmiths of his day in Philadelphia, and his work is nearly always superb...

Offered is a very nice American coin silver teaspoon by silversmith Guy Loomis circa 1825-45; it has a clear maker's mark for Loomis and is engraved with period script initials "LL" for the original owner. By style, it could date either to Loomis' time in Sheffield, Massachusetts (circa 1816-37), or to his Erie period, from 1837 to 1874. This piece measures about 5 13/16 inches in length and weighs about 14 grams...

Offered is an excellent pair of Philadelphia coin silver dessert spoons by noted silversmiths Lewis & Smith, circa 1805-11, with a pair of Philadelphia coin silver teaspoons by Edward Lownes of the same date, all bearing the same exceptionally engraved period script monogram. These spoons were located separately many years apart, but originate from the same service and have now been reunited...

Offered is an extraordinary set of four early American coin silver dessert spoons by Washington, DC silversmiths Joseph Bentley and William Wood, circa 1809. This brief partnership, conducted at the Washington Navy Yard, lasted only from December 1808 through the end of August 1809, when it was dissolved by mutual consent...

This piece is not for sale, but help me solve the mystery of who made this piece, and I will send you a very nice coin silver spoon in thanks! These twist-arm American coin silver sugar tongs measure about 7 1/8 inches in length and weigh about 49 grams. The maker's mark is a fairly crude SR in a serrated punch. Please take a look at all the pictures...

Offered is a nicely decorated American coin silver turned-handle spreader or butter knife bearing a manufacturer's mark for James Watts of Philadelphia, circa the 1860s. This piece has engraved decoration and a period engraved script monogram. It measures about 7 1/2 inches in length and weighs about 33 grams. Condition is fair to good, with some wear and scratching consistent with normal use, but no bends, splits or repairs. All in all a nice piece for display or everyday use!

Offered is a scarce example of the mark of Washington, DC watchmaker and jeweler Jacob Karr, working in that city between 1857 and 1905; he died in 1917 at the age of 81, and was born in Germany, coming to the U.S. at the age of 11. For at least part of his tenure he was located at 348 Pennsylvania Avenue. Karr is known primarily as a watchmaker in that invented the "celebrated American chronometer"; he also serviced the chronometers and equipment at the Naval Observatory in Washington...

Offered is a very fine example of the early maker's mark of noted Philadelphia silversmith Edward P. Lescure, who was working between 1822 and about 1836, and then intermittently through about 1861. While Lescure's later mark is well-known and seen periodically, this early mark is all but unknown, and perhaps only a tiny fraction of Lescure's extant work bears this mark. This spoon measures about 5 7/8 inches in length and weighs about 18 grams. It has a faded period engraved script monogram...

NOT FOR SALE - Here's a challenge - a circa 1790-1810 American coin silver tablespoon marked only IS in a large serrated punch, with a nicely engraved period script monogram of GJM and a V-shaped drop. This piece measures about 9 1/2 inches in length and weighs about 59 grams. It came in a lot with a piece by Caleb Bentley of DC, VA and MD, and it has the look of rural VA, MD or PA. I haven't seen this particular mark before, and am hoping someone else has...

Offered is a very nice early American coin silver teaspoon by noted Philadelphia silversmith and jeweler Nicholas Le Huray (or LeHuray) Jr., working circa 1821-46 in that city...

This piece is not currently for sale, but if you can solve its mystery mark with a definitive (or at least very strong) attribution, I'll offer you your choice of either $10 off your next order, or a free coin silver spoon in good condition!

This pair of feather-edge sugar tongs are marked once inside the bow with a maker's mark that appears to be IVB conjoined, but could be MB or NB conjoined. Please click on the first photo to scroll through all the pictures. The tongs appear to be circ...

Offered is a very rare pair of Missouri coin silver spoons from Hannibal jeweler George Mitchell, whose biographical information appears below. These spoons are well marked with a mark of COIN, a mark of G.MITCHELL, and a mark of HANIBAL (the town's name was spelled "Hannibal" even during Mitchell's time there, so this mark was cut incorrectly by the die maker). Missouri silver sometimes includes a town mark, but Hannibal (hometown of Mark Twain) seems to be more rare than most as a mark. The...

Offered is a nice example of the work of Earl Woodworth of Springfield, MA (flourished circa 1825-50). This spoon has a maker's mark of E.WOODWORTH in a serrated punch, though the E is a bit rubbed. This piece also has a period engraved script monogram of "KP" which is nicely done. This teaspoon measures about 5 9/16 inches in length, and weighs about 10 grams. Condition overall is fairly good, with light tip wear and modest surface wear, but no splits or repairs. Please take a look at all ...

Offered is a good Philadelphia coin silver spoon by jeweler Abijah B. Warden (1814-1882), working circa 1842-67 and thereafter in partnership with Howard Wriggins. This piece has a good clear maker's mark and a period engraved script monogram, as well as slightly later engraving to the reverse. This piece measures about 5 7/8 inches in length and weighs about 18 grams. Please take a look at all the photos. All in all a nice typical Philadelphia coin silver spoon of the period!