posted 05-03-2010 02:23 PM            

I have a number of pieces of sterling silver and coin silver and of course my eyes are falling out trying to find the makers.

I have 32 coin silver fiddle spoons. The majority were made by Butler & McCarty and I was able to find information on that silver company. Although they look exactly the same there are a few that were made by and marked H. Prouhet Pure Coin and Albrecht & Huber Pure Coin.

I found nothing on the internet or in my references on either of these companies. I also searched through this website, if I did that right and didn't find anything.

I wonder if Albrecht Huber was an early mark for Albert Albrecht?

Anyway any information on either company would be great.

posted 05-03-2010 06:04 PM            

Please read the yellow box at the start of this page and respond accordingly.

posted 05-04-2010 03:16 PM            

For the question I posted I did search in the archives and found nothing posted for the two noted companies. I did find information on three other pieces I have so I was thrilled.

I didn’t post a photo because I figure that everyone knows what a fiddle spoon looks like and the marks are very straight forward - Pure Coin and the name of the maker. I do know how to post photos and have a couple of pieces that I will be posting photos.

My interest in silver – I will try to make this short. I collect antique pattern glass - specifically figural EAPG and have written articles on the subject. I also collect Depression era “Elegant Glass” specifically etches and patterns by Central Glass Company. So basically that means there is no room in my house. Silver and other period items just happen to fit into the balance of my eclectic antique collection.

When I go to an auction or buy auction lots on line; when buying lots with items for my own collection, I sell what doesn’t fit. So I am a collector who happens to sell the overflow. I would have never had the time for this but I am home – unfortunately on an early retirement because of an accident. So I do this to keep busy.

A few months ago my neighbor asked me to help her with some pieces from an estate for which she was the executor. So she has delivered to my doorstep crates of antiques and I have had a ball researching each item for her. I love collecting but I love researching almost as much. Almost all of what she had was in fields in which I had never collected for example 18th & 19th century porcelain. There was quite a bit of silver. So I added a number of references to my already heavy library and started hunting.

I am in two discussion groups with a number of folks who I consider very knowledgeable in the group subject. One I am more active in responses as I am more knowledgeable in the subject and most of us are either very serious collectors, authors or both but having said that I learn something new all the time…..the other group I am definitely a novice. But again I love research and learning.

So some of the questions I have on silver will be for me and some will be asked for the research I am doing for my neighbor. And I never stop looking until I find the answer. The problem with that is I have two sets of book shelves in my office that are now filled with items for which I am on the hunt for information. LOL

In one of the two groups I mentioned I posted and asked an off topic question about silver and a member sent me to your website. As I mentioned above I already found three pieces in your achieves that I could not find on the internet or in my references so I figure I am in the right place to research.

So basically I like to find out as much information as I can and if given just a maker I like to dig even more because I really enjoy the history. I don’t like to give up on finding information.

Thanks and I hope that answers your questions and gives a bit of an introduction.

PZ

posted 05-04-2010 04:14 PM            

Huber was a native of Switzerland and traveled to the U.S. on the same boat as Albrecht. Their partnership started around 1851. Huber was trained as a jeweler.

Mr. Mack also has a entry for Prouhet. Hyppolite Prouhet was a silversmith and watchmaker born in 1823 in Belancour, France. He apprenticed with Thomas Witt under silversmith Stephen C. Jett in St. Louis, Mo. He immigrated to the U.S. between 1845 and 1850. Prouhet married Judith Benson of Union County Kentucky and lived in Kentucky for four years before moving back to St. Louis.

Mr. Mack has fairly long entries for Prohuet, Albrecht and Huber and his book may be available in a library near you.

posted 05-04-2010 07:22 PM            

You folks are probably far more familiar with all the silver websites but in all my searching this site has never come up before. ODD

posted 05-06-2010 10:19 AM            

Thank you for introducing yourself and I hope you find this a great place to visit and chat about silver.

A couple of requests, though. We have a wide range of collectors on this forum from the most expert people around to relative newbies, all of whom really enjoy seeing and learning about silver, and who are willing to share their knowledge with those who appreciate silver.

Two of our few requests we ask of everyone, including ourselves, are to please post photos of the object you are asking about - both the overall object, and clear closeups of any markings or interesting details. Not everyone here is at the same level in terms of knowing what may be common to others and so photos both help everyone and enable all to enjoy seeing your silver. Markings are not always standard so identification can be tricky even when it may seem that it should be straightforward. Also, there are unfortunately fakes out there including both some newly manufactured objects but more often and more difficult to spot are old objects with added markings. When posting your photos, please pay careful attention to the sizing limit for the forum which is 640 pixels wide.

The second request which is also in the yellow box has to do with asking about silver that is expected to be sold in the foreseeable future. This forum is very unlike almost every other internet forum that you will come across. People come here only to share information in a non-commercial setting. Many of our experts would not participate and freely share their knowledge if there was the expectation that someone was taking their generosity in sharing their expertise to make money from it. In your description you mention that you have some of your own silver, but that for the most part you are researching silver for valuations for the executor of an neighbor's estate. To the extent you are asking about silver that you own and keep in your personal collection people here are happy to share their knowledge, but to the extent any questions have to do with silver from that estate then we would ask that you refrain from asking for any information on it. There are many professional appraisers around the country who make their living from providing such valuations and that is where we refer such questions. If your executor neighbor would like to ask for some suggestions in your part of the country for licensed professional appraisers with knowledge of old silver, people here would be happy to provide some ideas.

I hope this helps clarify how our forum operates.