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 American Silver before sterling
 Some STERLING Spoons, Baltimore?
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| Author | Topic: Some STERLING Spoons, Baltimore? |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 01-14-2009 11:38 AM
  
   Here is another pair of interesting spoons. They are quite tiny for fiddle pattern spoons, at just over 5 inches, and are simply marked Sterling in a conforming cartouche. Marks of this type originated with the silversmiths of Cork, Ireland. Many people emigrated from Cork and settled in Baltimore, including several silversmiths. A few Baltimore silversmiths used a Sterling mark, likely to appeal to customers of Irish extraction. I have been unable to find another example of this exact Sterlng stamp, though. It could be Irish, but I think Baltimore is more likely. Does anyone have other examples of Baltimore silver with this mark? Brent IP: Logged |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 01-14-2009 11:49 AM
Sterling is often found on Baltimore pieces for the reason you give. A lot of Irish/English immigrants who made and marked items as they had done in their country of origin. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 01-14-2009 12:17 PM
It is entirely possible that this is a surname, not a mark of quality. There were several Sterling family lines in the Old Lyme, New Haven, and Rowley areas from the 17th century on, with connections to a number of silversmith lines, including Farnum, Bailey, Gilbert, Sill, Abbott, Griswold, and Merriman. There is also the unidentified Sterling who was a partner with Nelson Haight in Newburgh NY. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 01-14-2009 02:23 PM
I do not recall seeing this mark, but I also am inclined to think that this might be a surname - the Baltimore Irish style sterling marks are usually in Roman capitals in plain rectangles, not semiscript in a conforming rectangle. That said, exceptions can always occur, however I don't know that I have ever seen an Irish spoon with French style shoulders. Many spoons of this style were made in New York state and Connecticut and these are almost certainly coin silver. Another thing - the placement of the mark is the usual place for the maker's mark - quality marks are usually put further up the handle. [This message has been edited by swarter (edited 01-14-2009).] IP: Logged |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 01-14-2009 03:48 PM
Wev & Swarter Check the Maryland marks book by Goldsborough p. 7. You will find script Sterling in conforming shapes. The 'sterling' on the spoon could well be a name. I had a spoon with a sterling mark as well as a makers mark low on the stem, no longer have it. Anything is possible. IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 01-14-2009 05:28 PM
 Thanks to everyone for the input. I had never thought about Sterling being a maker's mark, but it is certainly possible. That said, compare the mark on the fiddle spoons to that on a piece by Charles L. Boehme. It is not the same mark, but the similarities are clear. Boehme's is slightly smaller with rounded corners and a slightly different font, most noticeable in the g at the end. Anyway, the marks are so similar that I would be susrpised if the fiddle maker was not from Baltimore. Brent IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 01-14-2009 05:45 PM
You are correct - Charles Louis Boehme did use a similar mark, but it is not this one. The book you refer to is Goldsborough's earlier one - The mark does not repeat in the later one. According to Pleasants & Sill, Boehme used three different sterling punches, two of which are Roman caps in a straight rectangle, and one conforming mark in "script" (actually semiscript). Edit: Brent posted while I was holding my post as I was searching letter forms. Boehm's use of the semiscript sterling mark is peculiar to him and not a regional style, probably tied to his use of a semiscript maker's mark. Other than the fact that both marks are in semiscript, I see no similarity in the two - several of the letter forms are quite different. Nice to have a clear example of Boehme's mark [This message has been edited by swarter (edited 01-14-2009).] IP: Logged |
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