Passed down through generations as family heirlooms, purchased at an estate sale, or found on an online auction, silver makes its way into our homes to be displayed or put to good use.
Above: Detailing in spoon bowls and on handles adds to the spoons’ appeal for collectors. Long before the sterling standard was adopted in the late 1880s, silver pieces were generally crafted as “coin silver”—melted coins fashioned into utensils and even serving pieces. The craft was common from early colonial times until well after the Civil War.
Above right: Coin silver spoons often bear monograms on the reverse of the handles. Makers’ markings typically include the first and last initials of the silversmith and occasionally, the city and state of origin. Above left: An intriguing selection includes pieces from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Worn with use, the handles shown above still reveal a precious beauty. “The term coin silver is misunderstood,” says Erik Voss, a collector and researcher in Fullerton, California. Coin denoted that the piece met the coin standard of .900, but with only one assay office—the Baltimore Assay Office—in the country, the variations among manufacturers were great.
Text Amy Cates
Styling Lindsay Kessler
For more information on treasured collectibles, see “Silver Spoons” on page 28 of the September/October 2008 issue of Victoria.
