SMP Logo
SM Publications
Silver Salon Forums - The premier site for discussing Silver.
SMP | Silver Salon Forums | SSF - Guidelines | SSF - FAQ | Silver Sales

The Silver Salon Forums
Since 1993
Over 11,793 threads & 64,769 posts !!
Silverplate Forum
How to Post Photos REGISTER (click here)

customtitle open  SMP Silver Salon Forums
tlineopen  Silverplate Forum
tline3open  Reed & Barton Medallion Basket

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

ForumFriend SSFFriend: Email This Page to Someone! next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Reed & Barton Medallion Basket
chase33

Posts: 362
Registered: Feb 2008

iconnumber posted 08-19-2012 12:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for chase33     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hey Everyone,

I just purchased a Reed & Barton Medallion silver plated fruit basket and am looking for a little information and suggestions. It is about 11 X 8 inches and is approx. 11 inches to the top of the handle. marked on the bottom "Mfg. & Plated by Reed & Barton 2210 Design PAT. JAN. 5 1889". I have tried using the USPTO website to find the patent but no luck. I narrowed it down to the entries for Jan 1889 but there were over 1800. Can anyone help me find this patent, please?

Also, how should I clean it? I haven’t had a silver plated piece this old and don’t want to do more harm than good. The silver plate looks pretty good but I’ll know more when I clean it.



One final thing: what style is this? I am having a hard time remembering the name.

Thanks

Robert

IP: Logged

chase33

Posts: 362
Registered: Feb 2008

iconnumber posted 08-19-2012 05:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for chase33     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks Scott

IP: Logged

dragonflywink

Posts: 993
Registered: Dec 2002

iconnumber posted 08-20-2012 03:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dragonflywink     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Nice - I like the hooves and the Greyhound. By style, suspected it was earlier than 1889 (is 'Aesthetic' the term you're looking for?). A quick online calendar check showed that Jan. 5, 1869 was a Tuesday, and all U.S. Patents and Trademarks were/are issued on Tuesdays (Jan. 5, 1889 was a Saturday). There were only 30 design patents issued on that date, only 9 of those were Class D7 (items for preparation or service of food or drink) - and here's your patent:

~Cheryl

IP: Logged

wev
Moderator

Posts: 4121
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 08-20-2012 10:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for wev     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
William Parkin

IP: Logged

chase33

Posts: 362
Registered: Feb 2008

iconnumber posted 08-20-2012 11:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for chase33     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks Cheryl

Yes 'Aesthetic' is the word I was looking for but couldn't think of. And no wonder that I couldn't find the patent, I was 20 years off! Thanks for the tip about Tuesdays and about D7 being the class to look for, those class codes always have me confused. I keep hoping the USPTO will one day make all of the patents searchable by full-text and not just those from 1976 onwards.

I really appreciate your help.

Now does anyone have any cleaning tips or should I just clean it like I would a sterling piece?

IP: Logged

wev
Moderator

Posts: 4121
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 08-20-2012 11:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for wev     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Try Google patent search -- using "reed and barton" cake the patent comes up as the second listing. It is not always accurate -- Google's OCR texts are not very good.

IP: Logged

dragonflywink

Posts: 993
Registered: Dec 2002

iconnumber posted 08-20-2012 01:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dragonflywink     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Should have mentioned, I always try google patents first, but it didn't come up for me when I tried earlier - a very handy search engine, but it can be a bit idiosyncratic (especially the last few months, they seem to be making some changes.....)

~Cheryl

IP: Logged

wev
Moderator

Posts: 4121
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 08-20-2012 02:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for wev     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Like I said, it can be a real crap shoot. On the other hand, I almost always come across some thing else to distract me. In this case the other listings were a couple of the 15 plus design patents issued to George Gill and assigned to R & B. Now I just have to figure out who the heck he was.

IP: Logged

ahwt

Posts: 2334
Registered: Mar 2003

iconnumber posted 08-20-2012 06:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ahwt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Nice find Cheryl - you should be a patent searcher.

Very attractive basket Robert. The patent description calls it a Tazza for holding cakes, but I think of these as cake baskets.

Is their any set pattern for what a bride's basket should look like? Or can any basket be called that if it is given to a bride?

IP: Logged

chase33

Posts: 362
Registered: Feb 2008

iconnumber posted 08-26-2012 06:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for chase33     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hey guys, someone needs to stop me! Just kidding. I don't normally collect silverplate but after the basket I talked about before, I now have another great piece. Earlier this week, I got a call from a friend who had asked if I wanted to purchase a silverplate fruit basket. The price was really low so I said yes without even seeing it. When I picked it up, I fell in love with it. It is so much better than I was expecting. It is by Meriden Britannia, Quadruple plated, with the original glass bowl. It is 11 1/4" high by 8 3/4" wide. The mark on the bottom includes the style number but I think someone at the factory made a mistake and corrected it by scratching out the last number (an 8) and "etching" in the correct one (a 7). Since I don't have any experience with silverplate and there isn't a patent number, can anyone help with the date or other info on this piece?

Thanks for everyones help on the R&B basket (or should I say Tazza?) and for any info on my new piece.

BTW, I am off to polish up both pieces and will post new photos when I am done.

Robert

IP: Logged

Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 08-28-2012 05:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Very handsome! I love that it has its original glass.

IP: Logged

dragonflywink

Posts: 993
Registered: Dec 2002

iconnumber posted 09-01-2012 01:40 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dragonflywink     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I like it too - with those long tubular legs coming out of the lobed connections, has a sort of gadgetry 'steam punk' look to it (been playing with making some beaded critters along those lines, so might just be my current perception).

An 1883 Meriden catalog shows a caster with the same base, and a different type fruit stand with the same bowl:

~Cheryl

IP: Logged

All times are ET

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46a


1. Public Silver Forums (open Free membership) - anyone with a valid e-mail address may register. Once you have received your Silver Salon Forum password, and then if you abide by the Silver Salon Forum Guidelines, you may start a thread or post a reply in the New Members' Forum. New Members who show a continued willingness to participate, to completely read and abide by the Guidelines will be allowed to post to the Member Public Forums.
Click here to Register for a Free password

2. Private Silver Salon Forums (invitational or $ donation membership) - The Private Silver Salon Forums require registration and special authorization to view, search, start a thread or to post a reply. Special authorization can be obtained in one of several ways: by Invitation; Annual $ Donation; or via Special Limited Membership. For more details click here (under development).

3. Administrative/Special Private Forums (special membership required) - These forums are reserved for special subjects or administrative discussion. These forums are not open to the public and require special authorization to view or post.


| Home | Order | The Guide to Evaluating Gold & Silver Objects | The Book of Silver
| Update BOS Registration | Silver Library | For Sale | Our Wants List | Silver Dealers | Speakers Bureau |
| Silversmiths | How to set a table | Shows | SMP | Silver News |
copyright © 1993 - 2022 SM Publications
All Rights Reserved.
Legal & Privacy Notices