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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 A Curator's Viewpoint
 Coin or sterling J.P. Patent 1865
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| Author | Topic: Coin or sterling J.P. Patent 1865 |
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hitchhiker Posts: 4 |
posted 03-27-2002 01:02 PM
  
I have recently acquired a medallion pattern dinner fork marked only "J.P.Patent 1865" Should I assume that it is coin, or was sterling sometimes not marked? IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 03-27-2002 01:30 PM
I think here you have a fork by John Polhamus (d. 1877), in one of his patented patterns. George Shiebler manufactured a lot of Polhamus's designs, and plenty of celebrated retailers, including Tiffany, retailed his work. Without a mark, you cannot tell coin (90% pure) from sterling (92.5% pure) silver. Frankly, I don't think it matters, unless you have someone who collects specifically coin for whatever reason. By 1865 many makers were focusing on sterling standard for their silver, and TIffany was marking all of its silver products STERLING. My guess would be that this is a sterling fork. But again, it doesn't really matter. IP: Logged |
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hitchhiker Posts: 4 |
posted 03-27-2002 01:38 PM
Thanks. I thought it was a Polhamus (Polhemus? I've seen it both ways). I once saw a Shiebler medallion bracelet with the same face that my fork has, so I figured it was one that he sold to Shiebler later. I also have a fork marked "Pat. Aug.30.70 N.E. Crittenden & Co." that appears to be in the Polhamus Ruby pattern. Do you think Crittenden copied it or that he bought J.P.'s copyright? ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 03-27-2002 01:46 PM
I don't know enough about Crittenden, but my guess is they simply retailed Polhamus' products, since few places were equipped to make flatware and relied on specialists (as did Tiffany until the 1880s). IP: Logged |
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