Catalog: Silver: Coin Silver: Serving Pieces

A mid 19th century piece, this 6 3/8" long, .9 T. oz., jelly or large sugar spoon is marked with Albert Coles', New York City, "eagle, AC, bust" emblem.

Coin silver, it is a decorative item, with several design details typical of its period.

It has a twisted stem that leads to a broad, shaped end that is bright cut engraved in a design reminiscent of leaves, bellflowers, and fruit, with a diamond border on the front and wriggle work edging on the back...

A popular mid 19th century motif, the (acanthus) Leaf pattern of this c. 1865, 7 1/4" long, 1.3 T. oz., coin silver master butter knife was produced by a number of makers, including Albert Coles, whose "eagle, AC, bust" emblem appears on the handle backside.

It is of additional interest given it was marketed by Joseph Werne of Louisville, Kentucky, whose name is also stamped on the blade back, alongside Coles' hallmark. Werne was a one time partner of John Kitts (also with S.W...

Matched items, each of these two master butter knives measures 6 1/4" long with the pair weighing 1.3 T. oz.

Marked "Coin," they are without a maker's identification. The style suggests an 1860s date and the work is clearly that of a capable (American) manufacturer.

They have twisted shanks leading to broad, flat, upturned handle ends that are extensively and finely bright cut engraved on the top sides. Each piece has a feathered script "AMF" monogram...

A popular motif in mid 19th century silver design, the (acanthus) Leaf design of this 6 7/8" long, 1.2 T. oz., coin silver preserve spoon was produced by a number of makers, including Albert Coles, whose "eagle, AC, bust" emblem appears on the handle backside .

Gorham was another company which produced a leaf design. That line, named Josephine, was nearly identical to Coles', and patented in 1855, which is the approximate date of this piece...

Established in 1867, Schohay & Ludwig (later Schohay, Ludwig & Co.) produced high quality silver, although as the company was short-lived, examples of their wares are not commonly found.

Located in Philadelphia, the firm's work followed after regional style typical of the period and that is the case with this 7 1/8" long, .9 T. oz., preserve spoon.

It has a flat, ovoid handle with a Tipt end that is joined to a twisted stem...

This mid 1850s piece is stamped with a three part, "bust, letter, lion" pseudo hallmark and the name "E. Benjamin," for the New Haven, Connecticut jeweler, Everard Benjamin, son of well-known silversmith Barzilli Benjamin.

An olive variant which incorporates what may more accurately be interpreted as anthemion or honeysuckle portraiture, this design is attributed in Silver in the Golden State to the San Francisco firm of Frederick R. Reichel, and identified by the name Olive...

A 9 3/8" long, 2.1 T. oz., solid silver pie server, this piece is marked "Coin" along with a maker's or retailer's mark that is too faint to identify with certainty, although it is likely Boston in origin.

Dating circa 1865, the pattern is Olive, which appears on both sides of the handle. The front is engraved in an elegant, feathered script, "SLM" monogram set sideways in the reserve area...

While marked "Pat. Appld. For," along with maker's name "J[ohn]. Cook," New York City, later examples of this unnamed pattern indicate the patent was actually issued in 1869, dating this some time before that.

The piece is a large, 9 7/8" long, 2.4 T. oz., die struck, coin silver server, likely for ice cream.

The "rosette and bellflower" pattern is similar to A. & W...

A well-regard name among mid 19th century Philadelphia silver manufacturers, James Watts produced this lengthy, 8 7/8", nearly 1.5 T...

Stamped with Albert Coles' three part "eagle/AC/bust" emblem, this 6" long, weighty feeling 1.3 T. oz., coin silver sauce or cream ladle dates from the mid 19th century.

The pattern, Jenny Lind, originated with Coles but was produced by innumerable other manufacturers of the time and was apparently well-received given the variety of inventory that remains extant.

The design appears on both sides of the handle and extends onto the backside heel of the bowl, which is oval and particul...

An early example of Gorham's Cottage, which was issued in 1861 to a coin silver standard and continued in production for many years through and beyond the company's transition to sterling in 1868, this 9" long, approximately 2.5 T. oz., ice cream spade is marked "Patent 1861," "Coin," and "Shreve Stanwood & Co.," for the Boston firm that eventually became that city's renowned "Shreve, Crump & Low."

A relatively plain pattern, this is embellished on the handle front with a delicately en...

Generously scaled, this coin silver server measures 10 1/8" long overall, has a 4 1/2" by 3" at the widest, blade, and weighs 3.3 T. oz.

It is marked "Blynn & Baldwin," for the Columbus, Ohio, pair of jewelers with approximate dates 1850-60.

The handle is in a double-sided "Kings" pattern that almost surely has Philadelphia origins, with kindred patterns illustrated in Catherine Hollan's encyclopedic Philadelphia Silversmiths.

Intended to serve pie or pastry, the blade is a study...

This lengthy, 9 1/8", and weighty, 3.2 T. oz., berry scoop or shovel has origins in Boston, marked for "Bailey. Kettell & Chapman," 1854-58. It is also stamped "Pure-Coin," which is a characteristic New England term.

The handle is a die struck "Bead" pattern that appears on both the front and back sides. There is a cursive "EWL" monogram inscribed on the reverse.

The generously proportioned, 3 1/2" by 2 3/8", scoop is engraved with a highly detailed and finely rendered motif that portrays ...

A major name in mid 19th century Boston silver production and retailing, Farrington & Hunnewell was the maker of this 6 7/8" long, .9 T. oz., coin silver preserve spoon marked "< F & H >."

F&H were masters of bright cut and fine engraving, which this piece illustrates. The work on the front of this portrays anthemion and leaf detailing against a fine line background that mimics engine turning.

The handle has a rounded end with a slight "Tipt" backside, and a shield form reserve, whi...

A substantially sized item that measures 7 1/2" long and weighs just under 1.4 T. oz., this master butter knife traces to mid 19th century Boston.

It is stamped "Shreve, Brown & Co.," which was an 1857-60 partnership in the chain of evolution for the firm that eventually became Boston's carriage trade "Shreve, Crump & Low."

It is also marked "Sterling," which is early for this period when coin silver was the prevailing silver standard.

The handle is an upturned "Oval Thread," plain on t...

Dating from the mid 19th century, this preserve or jelly spoon measures 7 1/4" long and weighs 1.0 T. oz.

It is stamped on the backside of the handle "J.E. Caldwell & Co." for the renowned Philadelphia jeweler and retailer of fine goods, and "Pure Coin," suggesting this piece may have been sourced from a New England manufacturer, given this term was typically used in that area.

It has a twisted central stem, with a broad, plum-shaped, tipt backside, end that is extensively engraved with br...

Having rounded, double scroll shoulders, with a triple leaf drop and a different single leaf also flanked by scrolls set mid handle, "Pacific" issued in 1870 by San Francisco's Schulz & Fisher was very much a period design. It is highly reminiscent, for example, of Knowles & Ladd "Crete" and Gorham's "Pompeii," both contemporaneous with "Pacific."

This example is an 8 7/8" long, 1.9 T. oz., pie server marked "coin" for the silver content.

It has a generously proportioned, 4 1/2" by 2 7/8" ...

Writing in Silver Medallion Flatware, D. Albert Soeffing comments that "[Philo B.] Gilbert was a prominent New York City manufacturer, working for about thirty years. Although not well know today, he was one of the leading producers of his day."

This 6" long, .8 T. oz., coin silver sugar spoon is an early example of his "Medallion" pattern, marked only "Patent 1867."

Relatively rare, the line is multi-motif, featuring a variety of different helmeted knight's heads facing left. This ...