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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.

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

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Back click on image to enlarge

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.