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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 American Silver before sterling
 Lynott Bloodgood
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| Author | Topic: Lynott Bloodgood |
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florida_bob Posts: 54 |
posted 12-12-2004 12:15 AM
  
I apologize for the horrible image - it was shot with a Sony Mavica circa 1998. This is the mark of Lynott Bloodgood, a silversmith who worked in Utica, New York in the early 19th century. The coin is an 1822-P-O Two Reales (a rare coin). I have not had any luck obtaining a piece of silverware with this mark. I once had a lead on a spoon, but the elderly antique dealer "could no longer find it" when he went to look for it.... I have acquired a copy of Lynott Bloodgood's will, but the hand-written script will have to be interpreted by someone who is used to reading those things. I am not able to read it. If anyone can provide further information on this silversmith I would really appreciate it. Also, if someone has an example of his work I would like to obtain an image of the mark. Bob M. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 12-12-2004 02:43 AM
quote: Send me a copy of it. I can probably prevail on my wife to translate it for you - she does quite a bit of genealogy and is used to deciphering wills, deeds, census records, and the like from that period. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 12-12-2004 02:45 AM
As do I; send along a copy if you will. I have family information and will post it on the morrow. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 12-12-2004 09:55 AM
Lynott Bloodgood was born 25 Dec 1781, the third son of the Albany ship captain and merchant Abraham Bloodgood and his wife, Elizabeth Van Valkenburgh. This was her second marriage; her first husband was Thomas Lynott, a prominent land merchant and trader. It is not known with whom Lynott or his brother James Abraham trained, but it is worth mentioning that his father and grandfather were both members of the first Masonic Lodge in Albany, of which Thomas Lynott had been Grand Master. Fellow members included the silversmith Jacob Lansing and Abraham Ten Eyck, son and nephew of the silversmiths Jacob Coenraedt and Barent Ten Eyck. After their apprenticeships, both men probably worked for several years as journeymen in Albany. In 1804 when they moved to Utica and established a shop as J & L BLOODGOOD. They worked together until 1810 and then established seperate shops, James returning to Albany. Lynott died in June of 1857, James a year or two later. IP: Logged |
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florida_bob Posts: 54 |
posted 12-12-2004 11:10 AM
Thanks for the information on Lynott and James Bloodgood. I really need to find a copy of a good New York State silversmith book. What would be the group's recommended choice of the following two books? 1) The Silversmiths Watchmakers and Jewelers of the State of New York Outside of New York City, by George Barton Cutten (available in print-on-demand at $30 plus shipping, or at $100 for an original). 2) New York State Silversmiths, by The Darling Foundation of New York State, forward by Kathryn Buhler (very expensive). Concerning the Lynott Bloodgood will, it consists of eight (8) very large pages which were photocopied from a roll of microfilm. However, someone with experience reading mid-19th century handwriting will DEFINITELY be able to "transliterate" this. And just think of how much valuable information is contained in this will! The information may even be worthy of publishing. I would be glad to send a copy of the will to anyone who cares to e-mail their postal address to me privately <BOBM@CFL.RR.COM>. All I ask in return is a "translation" of it in printed English. IDEA - it may help to have more than one person working on this, in order to divide the work. By the way, there are currently five known examples of Lynott Bloodgood's countermarked coins, as follows: 1807 U.S. Large Cent Bob M. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 12-12-2004 11:27 AM
Darling shows a mark of BLOODGOOD alone that is attributed to James, but none for Lynott. Interestingly, the mark is almost identical in letter forms and the shaped cartouche to the mark on your coin. Both may have been cut seperately, but by the same hand or the brother's had a pair of J & L BLOODGOOD punches, which they reworked when they parted ways. It is hard to make out, but it looks like there may be a bit of an letter or character on the left end of the cartouche, yes? The Darling book is broader in scope, but as you say, not cheap to buy. IP: Logged |
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florida_bob Posts: 54 |
posted 12-12-2004 12:48 PM
I have another image of this countermark (also poor), which also seems to show a piece of a character before the "L": The countermarked coin is in a safe deposit box at the bank. I will retrieve it this week for a closer look. In the meantime, would it be possible for someone to post an image of the Darling BLOODGOOD mark? Bob M. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 12-12-2004 01:36 PM
It is not a great picture, but here it is Your mark does look like it has been cut down from a larger punch. IP: Logged |
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florida_bob Posts: 54 |
posted 12-12-2004 02:12 PM
Thanks for posting the image! It appears that the two marks were made by the same craftsman, but they are slightly different. Some of the letters are cut a bit differently, and the "g" in the countermark has a cartouche cut-out above it. However, they could still eminate from the same original die punch. A closeup comparison of the marks will be needed to make a determination. Bob M. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 12-12-2004 02:41 PM
I wish I had a better image; it's a shame their work is so scarce. A plausible scenario is that James, being first established, cut himself a punch. Later, joined by Lynott, he cut another, close in style, for the partnership. When they parted, Lynott cut down the J & L BLOODGOOD punch leaving a bit of the ampersand at the edge. James in the mean time returned to Albany with his original. IP: Logged |
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labarbedor Posts: 353 |
posted 12-12-2004 02:54 PM
I have been reading these threads, and am more confused than usual. My inventory says I still have a Bloodgood salt spoon, but it will take about a week to confirm that and post pictures. Much like to old antique dealer, I really don't know what I have. Like akgdc, I thought most of these countermarks (at least internationally) were a form of guarantee. I thought I read someplace that it was quite common for individuals or merchants to take coins, even copper ones, to silversmiths to make sure they were real, and that the silver and gold ones weighed and tested correctly. I would think in a small community it would be easier to mark them as good, rather than keep checking the same coin. I am fascinated that some of the West Indies silversmiths have been researched by coin collectors since almost no work seems to have been done by silver collectors. IP: Logged |
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labarbedor Posts: 353 |
posted 12-13-2004 03:00 PM
Here are some photos of a salt spoon which appears to be late 18th century. The scenario given by wev seems the most likely. This spoon would likely date to James who probably cut the mark. It is very similar, but different enough that it certainly is not the same (notice the positioning of the second “o” and “d”, and the "g" already mentioned). It doesn’t show any evidence of having been cut down. If James was the die cutter, it would explain why his brother adapted their common mark to his use either because he couldn’t do the same or simply because James already had this mark to use IP: Logged |
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florida_bob Posts: 54 |
posted 12-14-2004 01:01 AM
That is a very clear mark, and an excellent digital image! Thanks for posting it. Now I can't wait to get a closer look at the countermark. I will post an update once I have re-examined the coin (probably Friday due to a last minute business trip). Bob M. IP: Logged |
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florida_bob Posts: 54 |
posted 12-18-2004 09:17 PM
I have retrieved my countermarked coins from the bank, and finally found the "L Bloodgood" countermark. After examining it more closely, it definitely has the tip end of a character, possibly an ampersand, just before the "L". The only way to tell for certain would be to examine an image of the "J & L Bloodgood" mark, which I have never seen. Does anyone have access to an image of the "J & L Bloodgood" mark, or to a piece of silver that has this mark? This is very interesting. I do not remember seeing a countermark that consisted of a cut-down mark before. Bob M. [This message has been edited by florida_bob (edited 12-18-2004).] IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 12-19-2004 10:39 PM
The breaking of a punch following the death of a partner or dissolution of a partnership was not that uncommon - obviously more economical for one or the other of the partners than making a new punch. Perhaps the easiest to detect are those cut from Philadelphia banner marks, like those of Fletcher & Gardner, Chaudron's & Rasch, and Browne & Seal. [This message has been edited by swarter (edited 12-19-2004).] IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 11-21-2008 12:05 AM
A Lynott Bloodgood served in the Army from 1813 to 1818. In 1818 he was a storekeeper at a military store in Albany. There is a Lynott Bloodgood listed in the 1820 U S Federal Census for Stillwater (Mechanicsville), New York, and he is mentioned in connection with a place of business there on the East side of Main Street in 1825. Lynott Bloodgood appears again in the 1830 U S Federal Census for Stillwater, New York, and in 1840 he is listed in the U S Federal Census for Utica, New York. In 1850 he is again listed in the U S Federal Census for Stillwater, New York. Wev'll know better, but I find mention of Lynott being forced by his father to train as a silversmith and nothing specific about James other than blacksmithing. However when the two of them went into business together they opened a blacksmith shop and also sold silverwares. James became a state weights and measures agent, and judging by the description of Lynott's shop in Mechanicsville, he too may have held a similar position. [This message has been edited by bascall (edited 11-21-2008).] IP: Logged |
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