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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 06-19-2008 09:22 PM
  
Taking a flier on a tiny, blurry picture, I picked up another very rewarding Fletcher family letter -- an 1836 invoice from Fletcher & Bennett of Philadelphia to Fletcher & Reeves of Louisville. I have done up a transcription [This message has been edited by wev (edited 10-25-2013).] IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 06-20-2008 07:16 AM
Interesting subject matter, clear communication, and beautiful language. Thank you wev. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 06-20-2008 11:58 AM
Expensive stuff for the period. Amazing how these routine documents survive. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 06-20-2008 12:15 PM
Doing a straight conversion to 2007 dollars using the consumer price index, it runs to $16,366 worth of goods. Such calculations are, of course, a rough guess at best. IP: Logged |
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Marc Posts: 414 |
posted 06-20-2008 10:38 PM
William.. Really neat bill. Thanks for posting it. I am a little confused.. I know how to add, and subtract and even multiply and divide, and can (or used to be able to) do statistical analysis, but I am at a loss as to how 4 doz tablespoons at $84.08/doz figures in the next column totals as $126.98. Same idea with the teaspoons.. (is this government accounting? Perhaps there is a chance to unconfuse me. Thanks for the math lesson in advance.. Marc IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 06-20-2008 11:21 PM
Beats me. I think the first column represents the cost of silver and the second the total including the making: 1.75 + .89 1/2 each x 48 = 126.98 (more or less)or roughly 2.65 each. If this is true, it is an interesting contrast to the 1834 wholesale prices charged by Hocknell & Steele in New York where the best quality tablespoons cost out at a touch over $1.70 each. I would welcome any other suggestion. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 06-20-2008 11:35 PM
As an addendum, Thomas was, by 1840, charging Henry $4.96 per tablespoon for the silver and the making. IP: Logged |
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agphile Posts: 798 |
posted 06-21-2008 05:53 AM
Might the first column be the total weight in ounces/pennyweights? IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 06-21-2008 01:16 PM
It makes no sense that cream ladles would cost so much less that teaspoons. There are four columns, so the first and fourth must be for something else, like engraving or finishing. They had $400 credit to their account, so who knows where or how that might have been applied. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 06-21-2008 03:31 PM
quote: There are only 5 cream ladles, not 5 dozen as in the teaspoons, so they cost nearly $2 a piece. IP: Logged |
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agphile Posts: 798 |
posted 06-21-2008 08:54 PM
I am still inclined to think that column 1 gives the weight (used only for the flatware), column 2 the unit price, column 3 a sub-total which is product of unit price by number of units, and column 4 the total figure. The figures in column 4 are added to produce the overall bill. A slightly higher charge per ounce for making the smaller flatware, which this interpretation implies, makes sense to me. But the same logic applies if column 1 is actually the cost rather than the weight of the silver. IP: Logged |
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Marc Posts: 414 |
posted 06-21-2008 09:52 PM
William, At $2.00 each for tablespoons, I realize that silver was not for the masses. That would be the equivalent of $300. or so today would it not? As you said, this is a 'Bill' with a family (Fletcher) relationship, so the figuring probably was more transparent because of this. Marc IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 06-21-2008 10:05 PM
Actually, it would be a few pennies shy of $50. Perhaps one of our smiths might estimate the bill for knocking out a 1.5 ounce tablespoon from scratch metal would be today? IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 06-21-2008 10:25 PM
Dangerous as it might be to compare documents by two hands across several years, here is a transcription of an 1840 letter from Tom Fletcher to brother Henry, also detailing goods. The weight of silver is clearly stated here, together with the cost of the making. [This message has been edited by wev (edited 10-25-2013).] IP: Logged |
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