posted 12-08-2005 08:44 AM            

Sure, many coin silver spoons aren't worth very much except as family heirlooms, but the exceptions can be pretty exceptional! Generalizations are a bad idea in any field, but antiques especially.

I don't think there is any way to respond to the book, as the Roadshow web site doesn't seem to have that function. If you can find one, let me know.

posted 12-08-2005 01:58 PM            

As an aside, a couple of prominent researchers have pointed out historical records of large quantities of American silver being carted off to England as war booty during the War of 1812. I don't doubt that was true, but I do doubt that much of it survived intact. I suspect that any war booty would have been melted and smelted, since it wasn't of sterling standard.

Some colonial silver and furniture DID go to England with Loyalist refugees after the Revolution, so there is always the possibility of it turning up. Early collectors did find Revere and John Coney pieces in England, and I'm sure there is more to be discovered. Just not a lot!

posted 12-09-2005 04:54 AM            

quote:

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I couldn't get this web site to work.
Could you check it again? I'd like to read it.

I assume this is a continuation of the posts in American Coin silver?

Speaking of the Antiques Road Show:
I went to the Antiques Roadshow in August and brought two coin silver tea pots from mid/early 1800's. There was only one person in front of me for the silver fellow. The line for collectibles was 45 minutes long and the toys line was long, too.

The teapots are the same theme (acorns), but different in many ways and I thought they were cool, but they weren't that interested in them. The silver fellow said they were probably from the early 1800's, but I always thought they were later (more like 1840-60?). The monograms are from a person who was born in 1797 and died in 1870. They were interested in the demitasse cups I brought.

Here are the pots I brought:

The second is marked similarly, but slightly different:

The story on these pots is interesting, too. When the original owner passed away she willed one to each daughter. For over 100 year they came down in those daughter's families. Then doing genealogy research my Grandmother found distant relatives in Hawaii and corresponded with them to find out that they had another acorn pot! Then my Grandmother passed away. My mother found my Grandmothers notes and struck up a written correspondence again. In comparing notes they found other things that had been split up (paintings of family for example). When the Hawaii person died my mother found out because one day in the mail came a box with the second acorn pot! A letter was enclosed from a lawyer saying that it had been left to her in the will and a letter from the distant relative giving the pot to her, "To be joined again forever."

I think it's a very neat thing that that woman in Hawaii did because now they are together.

Questions:
Why are they marked differently? Maybe they were made by different people? The monograms look like they were made at the same time. Do you agree with the silver fellow from the show that they are from 1810-1830 or do you think they are more like 1860? He thought Jones and Ball were before Jones Ball and Poor and not after them.

I could see them being bought for her when she was 20-30 years old (1820-30), but I can also see her buying them later for herself at 50-60 years old (1850-60).

Moral:
Do some genealogy research.

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posted 12-09-2005 12:43 PM            

I didn't mean to post pictures to the thread in coin silver that I don't have access to because the discussion is about Sloane's comments. I hope I don't come across as trying to change subjects!

posted 12-10-2005 04:46 PM            

I did get my invite, I did review the guidelines and I did agree to be good, although I can have a devilish side I will restrain it.
Thank you!

posted 12-28-2005 01:38 PM            

Do enjoy Noel Barrett, the long-haired toy guy on our Roadshow, get the feeling he'd just like to be down on the floor playing with all that good stuff.

Cheryl ;o) **sitting on floor playing with her toys**

posted 12-29-2005 12:49 AM            

I agree with Cheryl... The British "ARS"
is better, and I like their accents.

Warm Holiday Regards,

posted 01-03-2006 10:12 PM            

The "money shot"--when the appraiser says "Do you know what this is worth?" and the owner says "I have no idea," and the appraiser says, "Four thousand dollars" (or whatever), and the owner shrieks--is always excruciatingly embarrassing. Especially when it's something like somebody's grandfather's diary of escaping from a military prison by digging his way out with a spoon and carrying a family of four to safety on his shoulders, and the appraiser has to tell the person that Grandpa's spoon isn't worth anything, and you want to shout at the TV, "That's not the point!"

It's also embarrassing when they tell the people that their priceless Faberge cell-phone cover is a fake, and they have to make that brave grimace and pretend they don't really mind.

posted 01-04-2006 02:22 PM            

It is so ridiculous to put a price on a families heirloom. No matter what it is, it is priceless to the person showing it.

Example:
I brought old Indian pots that my Great Grandfather had bought when he was fleeing Mexico during the Mexican revolution. He kept a diary of that time and being hoed up in Mexico City. One thing he brought home was a little clay figurine. No one knew where they came from or exactly how old they were, but they are pretty. I wanted to find out so I brought them. The guy told me they weren't per-columbian and they were from New Mexico and with a smirk that they were worth - (oops-no valuations here). So? And his point was? The guy was a jerk. He thought I thought they were centuries old. I just wanted to know where they came from.

posted 01-04-2006 10:52 PM            

[This message has been edited by Richard Kurtzman (edited 01-04-2006).]