posted 03-22-2004 01:45 AM            

One might speculate that, had they been made in any numbers in the Colonies, being contemporary at the time of the Revolution, they, along with other silver items, might have been been sacrificed to support the war effort. Then, again, economic conditions may have dictated that relatively little silver was made during that period. Be that as it may, there are few American examples to be found.

Paul Revere is known to have made a number of these, at least some in sets, as late as the 1790's. Illustrations of these, in the feathered edge style, are to be found in books such as those by Hood, Kane, and Quimby. He also made some with the additional terminal cartouche.

I am attempting to obtain a photograph of an undocumented example by Myer Myers - if I am successful, I will post it here.

Below are pictures of a hitherto undocumented example by John David, Sr., who worked from before 1763 to his death in 1793.:

This mark is fresh and unworn, and is not as often encountered as the one with all capitals. That one is frequently illustrated, and shows considerable wear, so it is possible that the punch that made this mark was a replacement for the worn one, and may be one of his last marks. Winterthur has confirmed to WEV that they have attributions for this mark only to John David, Sr, and not to his son, John David, Jr., who succeeded him in 1794, and that a search of their records and those of the MFA and Yale collections found no record of examples of this form by him.

This spoon is unusual in the extent of chamfering along the stem. The chamfering along the shoulders foreshadows similar examples occasionally found on early fiddles made at a later date. It is unusually large for a 18th Century spoon, measuring 9" in length. It is also substantial, weighing 2oz 1.5 dwt.

This spoon bears a close resemblance in shape and proportion to desert spoons illustrated in Pickford's 1983 Silver Flatware . . . . (figure 113, p.97) and made in London in 1763. They also show chamfering, but it is difficult to determine the extent, as the photograph is small.

Unfortunately, initials appear to have been removed some time ago (judging by surface wear) from the David example, and I have no provenance for it. I have examined it carefully for signs of alteration that might indicate a conversion, and having found none, am confident that it is original in this form.

I would appreciate hearing of any other American examples, with references to documented ones, or pictures of undocumented ones, if possible.

posted 04-09-2004 06:53 PM            

.51 Col. Thomas Proctor
To 6 silver table Spoons with shoulders on the Handles

This Day Book is at Winterthur.

posted 11-02-2006 05:03 PM            

It is marked by Thompson Davis, London, 1763-4, and is 8 1/4 inches long. The feathered decoration on the stem is on a chamfered edge. Such a spoon (with or without the decoration) could have been the original model for the American examples.