posted 04-25-1999 06:41 PM            

Special Features

The American silver makers would not long be constrained by tradition and unique patterns would appear by the 1850's. This is one of my favorites although no one knows it's name or even the manufacturer. There are no makers marks on these just various retailers marks. I wrote Don Soeffing about the pattern. He said it was one of his favorites too, and speculated that it was made by Philo Gilbert. This pattern was made in a very complete line and I have seen large serving pieces as well as smaller bon-bons and sugar shells. It was very widely distributed, the retailers vary from “Jaccard St. Louis” to A. Voorhees in New Jersey, Hoard & Avery in Chicago, M.W. Galt & Bros. Wash. D.C. All these are listed in Kovels Silver Marks, without reference to whether they were retailers or makers. Galt is referred to in Rainwater as a manufacturer, as is Jaccard. Whether this pattern was produced by one or more of the above or by another manufacturer for retail is the mystery. The tablespoon has no retailers marks, but a small “E” at the base of the spoon. I once saw a piece that appeared to have English hallmarks.

Dating

There are no sterling marks or coin marks, thus it is assumed these are coin or the equivalent. The retailers marks as well as the style indicate a date of 1850. Kovel gives : Jaccard & Co. 1830-1860, Voorhees c. 1840, Hoard & Avery 1856-1858 and Galt & Bro 1847-1879.

Pieces Available- (Shown )

Item length Our cost
Dinner Fork 7 7/8” $32
Luncheon Fork 6 7/8, $2 (no kidding, not a typo)
Tablespoon 8 ½” $45
Dessert Spoon 7 1/8" $30
Teaspoon 5 7/8” $10

Photo:

Reverse, showing marks (or lack of). Note the reverse pattern is complete like the front.

Key Pieces

Who knows? Is there a pastry, salad or fish fork? A coffee spoon?

Comments

Since no one knows what this pattern is, and the pieces they say neither "coin" nor "Sterling" I have bought some for as low as $2 each in a junk box for silver plate. There are dozens of patterns like these that we don't know the name of today. Someone needs to put them all in a book and give them a number to help collectors at least communicate. But this is the charm of collecting silver of the mid 1850's, you are constantly making undocumented discoveries.

posted 07-11-1999 07:30 PM            

It is marked Squire & Lander which Kovel says is a circa 1840 firm in NY giving credence again to the 1840-1850 dating.

At this point I doubt that a small coffee spoon exists, nor a flat butter or dinner knife so I will pronounce this pattern complete, after three years of hunting.

posted 04-14-2000 11:31 AM            

The second, a luncheon set on ebay bears the marks of John Cook who is said to have purchased Gilbert's dies after he went bankrupt in about 1868. Cook was in business until 1880. Therefore it is likely that the pattern was produced by Gilbert and marketed through many retailers in the period 1850-1868 and then by Cook until as late as 1880. Shiebler purchased Cook's dies but no pieces with Shiebler marks have been reported.

posted 02-23-2002 11:00 AM            

The slice and the pie server are the only large scale servers I have run across. Interesting that one is marked O. S. JENNINGS and the other JENNINGS & HART. Same Jennings? I presume they are retailers, but don't know them.

I did some checking; O. S. Jennings apears to be Oscar S. Jennings working alone as a silversmith, jeweler, and watchmaker in New York City, 1838-1847 and as a partner with Tobias Landers as JENNINGS & LANDERS, 1848-1851. Belden and Darling show his mark as incised; perhaps that seen here was used for retailed goods only. I find nothing on a JENNINGS & HART.