posted 01-05-2012 06:05 PM            

My question concerns makers' and retailers' marks on some of these pieces and particularly a "J. Polhamus" stamp. All of the pieces I own are stamped Patent 1847. From a 12/10/2005 post by wev on the Forums (J Polhamus), I understand that this could only apply to one of the two patents issued to John C. Moore in 1847. I should point out that the pattern of all six pieces, four tablespoons and two small forks, matches the design on the Moore patent drawing, but with very slight variations in some minor details between the spoons and the forks. Here is the interesting part, to me at least. One fork has a stamp for Tiffany, Young and Ellis while the other is stamped J. Polhamus. (They came from different sources.) The heavy tablespoons (from a third source) are also stamped J. Polhamus in addition to Patent 1847. We know that Young and Ellis retired from Tiffany in 1853 so presumably the fork marked Tiffany, Young and Ellis was made by someone between 1847 and 1853. Tiffany contracted with John C. Moore to produce silver for the company in 1852. So what might be the explanation for the Polhamus pieces that were almost certainly produced at this same period. Was Polhamus working directly with Moore? Had he "borrowed" the patent and was producing flatware under his own name? Does the absence of the Tiffany stamp (or any retailer)on one the forks and all four tablespoons suggest that Polhamus retailed his own product on occasion? The exact nature of working relationships among American silversmiths in this period is unclear to me. I hope some Forum members have more concrete information.