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Coin Silver
Resourceful, free-thinking American colonists chose to forge their own silver goods rather than import British sterling. They melted down the foreign coins trade brought ashore, most often Spanish-American silver reales, which were 900 to 1000 fine, as opposed to sterling, which is 925 parts silver and 75 parts metal alloy. By 1859, silver was being mined in Nevada and the term “coin” had evolved into an American standard of quality. Some silver firms began to mark their wares COIN, PURE COIN, or DOLLAR, to denote a silver content as high as currency, whether or not they were actually made from coins. This mark also distinguished coin silver from the sterling standard, which American companies began to market as early as the 1850s and eventually conformed to around 1870.
It’s common among antiquers today to associate coin silver with plain, tinny spoons, and sterling with opulence and detail. But the truth is that all kinds of flatware—spoons, forks, butter knives, and serving pieces—were produced on both standards for several decades. Sterling spoons were sometimes made thin for economy’s sake, but since coin-silver was forged from a silver alloy less precious than sterling, coin-silver flatware could be heavy and elaborately wrought.
Since coin is the oldest form of American silver, however, collectors set their sights on acquiring the early pieces. Because most were unadorned, that became the prevailing esthetic. Although most flatware produced before 1850 was plain, decorative trends began as early as the last decades of the 18th century. The first was called bright-cut work, a type of engraving that produced simple yet flickering patterns of flowers or vines on the handles of spoons and forks. Like most early flatware, bright-cut pieces remain neoclassical in form. In the 1820s, a heavier type of classicism called Empire style (after the First Empire of France) became trendy. In the 1830s, a tiny amount of Gothic-inspired decoration appeared. Rococo ornamentation followed in the 1840s and stayed fashionable until the end of the coin period in the late 1860s. Coin silver made after 1870 is rare.
Beginning collectors shouldn’t expect to achieve a full, matching service or the coin silver equivalent of a modern-day place setting. Focus on early coin, and you’ll find an abundance of teaspoons, tablespoons, and some dessert spoons, but a distinct lack of forks. Forks made after 1830 are more abundant, but knives always remain scarce because silver does not cut as well as harder metals. The chance of finding more pieces increases with styles or patterns forged after 1860. It was then that formal dining came into vogue and brought with it all the specialty pieces of Victorian tables such as the ice scoop, oyster ladle, and asparagus tong.
When collecting, be aware of condition. Maker’s marks are important and should be legible, not worn away by use or excessive polishing. To find the most collectible examples of coin-silver flatware, look for the work of these 10 makers. Some are recognizable by their mark, a series of symbols known as pseudo-hallmarks. Others are known by the nature of their designs or the mark of the retail company they worked for.
Albert Coles, New York City Duhme & Co., Cincinnati
George B. Sharp, Philadelphia
Henry Hubbard, New York City
John Polhamus, New York City
John R. Wendt & Co., Boston
Newell Harding, Boston
Peter L. Krider, Philadelphia
William Gale, New York City
Wood & Hughes, New York City
It’s common among antiquers today to associate coin silver with plain, tinny spoons, and sterling with opulence and detail. But the truth is that all kinds of flatware—spoons, forks, butter knives, and serving pieces—were produced on both standards for several decades. Sterling spoons were sometimes made thin for economy’s sake, but since coin-silver was forged from a silver alloy less precious than sterling, coin-silver flatware could be heavy and elaborately wrought.
Since coin is the oldest form of American silver, however, collectors set their sights on acquiring the early pieces. Because most were unadorned, that became the prevailing esthetic. Although most flatware produced before 1850 was plain, decorative trends began as early as the last decades of the 18th century. The first was called bright-cut work, a type of engraving that produced simple yet flickering patterns of flowers or vines on the handles of spoons and forks. Like most early flatware, bright-cut pieces remain neoclassical in form. In the 1820s, a heavier type of classicism called Empire style (after the First Empire of France) became trendy. In the 1830s, a tiny amount of Gothic-inspired decoration appeared. Rococo ornamentation followed in the 1840s and stayed fashionable until the end of the coin period in the late 1860s. Coin silver made after 1870 is rare.
Beginning collectors shouldn’t expect to achieve a full, matching service or the coin silver equivalent of a modern-day place setting. Focus on early coin, and you’ll find an abundance of teaspoons, tablespoons, and some dessert spoons, but a distinct lack of forks. Forks made after 1830 are more abundant, but knives always remain scarce because silver does not cut as well as harder metals. The chance of finding more pieces increases with styles or patterns forged after 1860. It was then that formal dining came into vogue and brought with it all the specialty pieces of Victorian tables such as the ice scoop, oyster ladle, and asparagus tong.
When collecting, be aware of condition. Maker’s marks are important and should be legible, not worn away by use or excessive polishing. To find the most collectible examples of coin-silver flatware, look for the work of these 10 makers. Some are recognizable by their mark, a series of symbols known as pseudo-hallmarks. Others are known by the nature of their designs or the mark of the retail company they worked for.
Albert Coles, New York City Duhme & Co., Cincinnati
George B. Sharp, Philadelphia
Henry Hubbard, New York City
John Polhamus, New York City
John R. Wendt & Co., Boston
Newell Harding, Boston
Peter L. Krider, Philadelphia
William Gale, New York City
Wood & Hughes, New York City
Latest page update: made by kjacobso
, May 24 2007, 1:51 PM EDT
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