Featured Three Crowns Silversmiths - Ingrid Collector! (Royal Hickman)

Hello all!

I found this wonderful site on a recent search, and would like to add to the "hive mind" some information I have found over the years about this subject.

I have been collecting pieces in the Ingrid line, designed by Royal Arden Hickman for Three Crowns Silversmiths in Pottstown, PA, for about 15 years now. It all started with finding a Salad Server set in an antique mall. They were so hefty and wonderfully made that I was certain they were mis-marked as "silverplate" rather than sterling. Some online searching quickly corrected my mis-impression. ;-)

Three Crowns Silversmiths started producing this line in 1946, and ended around 1960. It was designed by Royal Hickman to fulfill a desire for Swedish-looking, minimalist pieces in the Mid-Century Modern sensibility. The hallmark does indeed consist of three pointed crowns (2 above, 1 below), which is similar to the Swedish Sterling mark, but not enclosed in the "cat's paw" like the Swedish mark.



There are several design elements that are used, variously or in combination, on these pieces. I'll attempt to describe them for informational purposes only.

Composition:
The vast majority of pieces in this line are silver plated over copper or brass. Once in a while you may see the salad servers in brass or brass and copper with either smooth handles or fluted lengthwise.
I did see a salad set that was stamped "sterling" near the hallmark, but couldn't verify that.
Overzealous polishing can result in the plating wearing completely off, showing only as the base copper or brass.

The row of small beads:
Many of the holloware pieces and almost all of the flatware and serving pieces use this element. Holloware bowls and pitchers usually have a simple ribbon handle with this beadwork row. Sometimes the beads are in a straight line - sometimes in a gentle curve. Occasionally, I see the salad servers with unadorned handles.


Disk and Chain base:
Holloware pieces are most often found with a very sturdy base which consists of a large, washer-like, circular disk that rests on the table, with a circling of chain or roping, and the bowl on top of that. The base is largely openworked, and you can peer through the open disk from the bottom and see through the gaps in the chain.

Other times, the base can be just three simple balls, attached to the base of the bowl.

Finials:
Hickman designed a unique finial in a biomorphic form that looks like something between an orchid and a scorpion. The up-curved "tail" serving as the handle on lidded pieces, such as a sugar bowl. The elements of this feature are discrete, and the "petals" or "leaves" do not rest on the surface, but just touch it at the center and tips.
Sometimes this form appears in the middle of a piece, such as the stem of a candlestick.

Oddly enough, just yesterday in an online search, I saw a finial for a side-handle creamer that was a stylized tropical fish, and a sugar and creamer set that had the same fish mounted as handles on the sides.
I've also seen a simple ball finial, though I can't verify that that might not have been added to replace a lost original finial.

I think that this is a good start. Please feel free to comment or update this thread with information about these wonderful pieces. I plan to list the items in my own personal collection in a later post, just to illustrate the vast range of items produced by Three Crowns Silversmiths. (Everything from Salad Server sets to a Gravy Boat with a stand and warmer!)

 

Welcome Mecklenburg Vintage Man, thank you for your very informative post, looking forward to items from your collection.

It is.

 

but shouldn't it be moved to the SILVER forum.....where silver minded folks could see it....??

 

As a very new person, I have no idea how to do that... ;-)
But, I do think it would be a good idea!

 

Hi,
Only the the two "owners" have that privilege to move to another forum.
greg

 

so does Book... I think !
@Bookahtoo

 

Welcome. I have dozens of piece and mark images, advertisements, and other bits of information on Three Crowns and Studio SilverSmiths/Sun Glo Studios, though some are on an external hard-drive that's been misplaced for the moment. This was a recent thread here that shows the fish motif set: https://www.antiquers.com/threads/3-crowns.40898/

~Cheryl

 

I've had some of this stuff, salads for sure - thanks for the informative post and welcome!

 

Hi Komo,
I was including Book and Davey. The great imperial highness I never mention is PETER.
greg

 

but Gregsie...he's the owner.....

 

Hi Komo,
I know he is the owner but the two that run everything is Davey and Book.
greg

 

I guess it was moved to silver before I got here! Welcome Mecklenburg! It's a very handsome pattern!

 

Greetings, Vintage Man! An interesting and informative post. I've only seen the basic salad servers in person. Those Ingrid pieces are very nice.

 

No clue on your sterling salad set but I have mid century salad bowl with serving utensils that has sterling handles and bowl with a sterling base. The handles are very heavy and I've always assumed they are weighted to give a nice feel in the hand and jutst wrapped in sterling. They aren't marked as weighted but I've always just assumed this. Hope I'm wrong! The row of small beads is very similar to a Jensen lemon fork I own. Maybe borrowed from them or maybe in use before Jensen? (Cited from: https://www.antiquers.com/threads/three-crowns-silversmiths-ingrid-collector-royal-hickman.42631/)

 

@J Dagger Are you saying that you have Three Crowns salad set marked as sterling? Please show a picture of the set and the mark!

 

No sorry I probably wasn't clear enough. OP had mentioned that the handles on his sterling set were very hefty. I believe he was saying that because they were so hefty he assumed maybe they weren't sterling and then found out they were. I have a sterling set by an unknown maker that includes very hefty sterling handles. It would take a relatively large amount of silver to make them so heavy. I've always assumed they were filled with something even though they aren't marked as being "weighted". The way they are marked might make you think there's more silver there than may actually be the case. If they weren't marked as sterling based soley on the heavy weight I might guess mine were plated too.

 

Ummm - you might want to reread the OP's original post...

~Cheryl

 

?? Yes, please do read the OP again.

 

Hi Cheryl,
I saw your entries on this other post, and that was what inspired me to join and post the info that I knew. Thanks for that link - AND your other contributions on the original post. Quite informative, as well.
(Now - the proof of the pudding... did I do this reply "correctly"? LOL)