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Shiebler or Frank W Smith?

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Author	Topic: Shiebler or Frank W Smith?
Plat unregistered	posted 05-27-2003 11:12 PM We have a sterling spoon with a marker's mark that could be either Shiebler or Frank W Smith. While the mark is not crisp, I see both feathers and a small crown above the S, which make me think it is Shiebler. However is isn't completely clear. Using both Hagan's book and Noel D Turner's "American Silver Flatware 1837-1910", we can not find a documented pattern that exactly match to this piece. Looking at Frank W Smith patterns, I don't see any blanks (teaspoon shape) with the top like this one -(oval and asymmetrical). That is another reason I'm thinking it isn't a FW Smith. I also don't see any documentation on multi-motif patterns for F. W Smith either, so it doesn't look like they made versions of their patterns..... Looking at Shiebler, the overall style is much more consistent with other Shiebler blanks. Shiebler did have multi-motif patterns documented. It might be a multi-motif version of Shiebler's "Victoria" (1894 - asymmetrical, oval top, scalloped edge). Turner's book shows Victoria much better than Hagan. The only other patterns that I see that seems to be in the same blank style (again, oval top/asymmetrical style) are F.M Whiting Co - George III (1891). George III is quite honestly, the best documented match of the patterns, but the maker's mark doesn't correspond to Whiting. Any opinions? Shiebler or Frank W? Thanks. IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 05-28-2003 03:46 PM I am sure we have some of this pattern tucked away.... I just can't remember if there is pattern name??? Any one else? The mark definitely looks like a poorly struck Frank Smith mark. Here is a mark from an Frank Smith Earle pattern spoon (cira 1890): From our book The Book of Silver marks section: IP: Logged
Anuh Posts: 190 Registered: Jan 2003	posted 08-23-2003 08:34 PM The real problem, as I see it, is that it also carries the Duhme & Co. mark. Duhme & Co. also produced sterling flatware with their own patterns. It could be a case of Duhme having another company actually produce the flatware with their own mark under contract, although the little I read of them doesn't indicate they normally did this. OR, the originating company could have made the pattern and sold it to Duhme for marketing. In either event, I would look under Duhme & Co. first, then consider other sources. BTW, why do you think it might be multi-motif? ------------------ Anuh IP: Logged
Bob and Carol Carnighan Posts: 63 Registered: Apr 99	posted 08-23-2003 11:10 PM This is not Shiebler. Victoria is not multi-motif. We believe that this was incorrectly listed as Shiebler on Ebay several weeks ago. Give us more information. IP: Logged
Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 Registered: Apr 2000	posted 08-24-2003 06:28 PM Duhme is just the retailer, and it is definitely a Frank Smith spoon as Scott said earlier. Even if it the Frank Smith mark was totally illegible, the bowl shape (it is a citrus spoon) is specific to FS. I haven't checked, but it sounds like this pattern is not shown in Turner or Hagan. So I would guess that it is just one of many not-full-line (only made in one or a few pieces) patterns produced in America during the Victorian era. It seems like citrus spoons, demitasse spoons, cocktail forks, etc. were especially popular in not full line patterns. Probably sets of a dozen were popular gifts so manufacturers offered a wide array of designs in addition to their regular full line patterns. Gorham alone probably produced scores of designs specifically for demitasse spoon sets. IP: Logged

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