posted 03-04-2000 05:36 PM            

I think the growth of the industry is certainly a part of the answer, but there are other factors that played a role as well. As the 19th century approached, the number of English born and trained smiths was dwindling, replaced by native born workers who had no reason to adopt or continue the London mark conventions. Certainly, after the Revolution and War of 1812, there was a positive move away from English ways as Americanism began to flourish. Some workers did retain the old style marks, some used a combination (often dependent on the size of piece marked and to signify partnerships -- Robert Wilson is an example), and some went directly to a full name punch. One important development was the growth of type founding and the availability of trained punch cutters. Before 1800, a smith, even in major cities, had to fashion a mark by his own best devices. Some were more adept at this than others; marks often appear quite crude in comparison to the quality of silversmithing evident in the pieces they are found on. By the end of the first decade of the 19th century, however, almost every city of any size had a type foundry producing the latest letterforms. I don't think it is a coincidence that one finds an extraordinary level of typographic consistency and workmanship exhibited in marks used by workers in major cities and neighboring towns at this time. I believe many smiths availed themselves of the foundry's craftsmen and had their punches cut -- and why not your whole name if you are about it? The cost - given the expected working life of a quality punch - was modest, especially considering the time and difficulty involved in making it up in house.