Featured Finds Thread

He didn't get a D for his engraving

 

Well, that D is too far away from the mark to relate to Gorham's dating for holloware or the "weight" marks on flatware (and there was no D in that system either.) 'Tis a mystery.

 

On that Curtis, Candee & Stiles spoon, it's timeframe is 1831-1835 when the 3 were in partnership.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths/73644.htm

I couldn't find anything on J.W. Lyndi. George Sanford was probably the retailer.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths/256684.htm
http://www.sterlingflatwarefashions.com/Ret/RetS1.html

--- Susan

 

The Gorham stamps on that spoon look to favor their marks of the "Last quarter 19th Century." Then again it might be 20th century. I tried editing that pic in hopes of better seeing the stamps. The edited versions really aren't any better than your pic. I also feel the "D" is too far away to relate to the markings.

http://www.925-1000.com/Gorham_Date_Code.html

--- Susan

 

That's one of the 'mystery letters' that appear occasionally on Gorham's flatware, some are weight codes, but not sure if anyone has really firmly identified the meaning of the others.

The feather/leaf spoon is a Fessenden preserve spoon - one of my first books on silver, bought in the late '70s, was Turner, believe that's where the Gorham 'Leaf' pattern ID originated. Have seen dozens of that handle over the years, never any with a Gorham mark or any other maker's mark (unusual for Gorham), if they did make a pattern like that, they didn't make many pieces...

Here's a spoon with a similar bowl in Fessenden's 'Alice' pattern, from an 1896 retailer's catalog:


~Cheryl

 

As Baker said, definitely no date codes on flatware. Here's something about letters on Gorham flatware. It talks about T, E, H, M & P. No mention of a 'D'. One of the responders says the 'P' may mean "place size, larger than luncheon size but smaller than dinner size." If that is correct, wonder if a 'D' might mean dinner size???
http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10282

Here is another site that talks about Gorham letters as representing special orders; however, not sure if the actual pieces were stamped with the letters or were the letters just in the "costing book with these 'special order entries'." It talks about the letters starting in the 2nd paragraph. 'D' in the 2nd sentence of the 2nd paragraph and about the 9th line up from the bottom of the 2nd paragraph.
http://www.owlatthebridge.com/info04.asp

--- Susan

 

Cheryl, rode to the rescue again. Here is a reply of hers on that Leaf pattern with the spoon definitely having a Fessenden's stamp. She posted a pic of the pattern.

http://www.smpub.com/ubb/Forum13/HTML/000958.html

--- Susan

 

This is what I "found" one afternoon. This is how my cat does sinks.
She says there are no dirty dishes full of water. The water dish isn't good enough; she wants people water. She's almost 15, so she's not about to change her ways and stay on the floor.

 

Wow - that's an old post (the pics are Kimo's). Here's a thread on the mystery letters, with reference to some other threads: http://www.smpub.com/ubb/Forum13/HTML/000815.html

The 'Owl at the Bridge' page is Sam Hough's addendum to Carpenter's book on Gorham - the special order letters were either a prefix to a number or a series of three letters; the 'D' prefix on 1898+ production codes indicated silver with a glass component.

~Cheryl

 

So jealous of the finds, there's not a crumb around here. The thrifts SUCK badly but I am almost ready to go out of desperation withdraws
Cool finds Cx Terry love the bowl Brad
Shiloh I forgot when you said your surgery is but good luck and keep us posted
Wheres Nuff she's mia

 

I too like that pickle fork. My wife and I had snacks on New years day. Crackers, cheese, salami, and pickles. She commented "Hey, we don't have a pickle fork"

Guess who started looking at pickle forks Jan 2nd?

 

If you're are talking about the pierced fork in Terry's pics, that's a lemon fork, a Gorham 'H' piece if I recall correctly...

~Cheryl

 

I was sitting and looking through pics for a pattern name

Then that duh moment when I got to the H's. Marked right on the back.

 

While most 3 pronged pickle forks tend to resemble Poseidon's trident, I'm sure if one were to stick a lemon fork into a pickle.......the pickle would not mind !

The feather spoon is awesome ...but I notice the Honolulu spoon & totem pole Indian spoon are rather nice as well !

At least they are to me..............

 

Me too, komokwa!

Just be sure to spell Mt Rainier correctly, Terry.

 

There are no cherries like the ones from Washington State !!

Now , back to the spoons............

Terry, you got this whole WACK of spoons , ect....for $25 ?????
Who in their right mind would sell off this much sterling .. ( ohh...sorry....I meant silver plate !! )..fer nuthin ??

Good pull !!!!
( I wanna shop where you shop !! )

 

Terry, that box was one heck of a nice find! Other than your nut picks, was there much actual silver plate in the box?

 

Around here they CLOSED two of the thrifts. Darnitt. Reopened one, but it's just clothes for the most part, and cheap ones at that. We did get a ReStore, but that's almost all furniture.

 

There are some nice pieces in that lot - to my eye, the seldom seen Whiting 'cherub' demitasse spoons are just really wonderful...

~Cheryl

 

Went to the local auction last night where 99% of the merchandise was junk. The auctioneer somehow managed to miss a 14K gold Tiffany and Co. Men's Concord quartz watch stuck in a box lot with some vanity items. It was definitely real. He had all manner of really cheap jewelry in cases and this was sitting out. I think only a few of us knew it was there but enough for me to get outbid after several hundred dollars of bidding and a waste of my whole night.

The only thing I bought was this watercolor signed, what looks to be, Rabenberg. Paid a whole $2.00.


I was able to find another by this artist listed on Etsy but the seller knows nothing about the artist. Seller is also from Illinois but over 100 miles from me. Still close enough that this is probably a local or regional artist.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/215776189/watercolor-rabenberartoriginal