posted 10-11-2019 01:57 PM            

Happy to have joined and finally found the time to submit a post.

I've been slowly growing a collection of items over the past few years. At this point I've not been able to bring myself to spending any real money on anything which is probably wise being a beginner. So that leaves me to browsing thrift stores hoping for the occasional find. In this respect I've done pretty well I think.

Anyway my interest in silver really began when I found a few sets of Demi tasse spoons with English hallmarks. I really enjoyed the detective work discovering who made them where, and when. Not to mention the detail of the hallmarks themselves.

I'll be honest, most of the stuff I find is in a pretty sad state. Still its quite interesting researching.

I'm also blown away at the level of knowledge people on this forum have so I apologize in advance if I'm not using the correct terminology when I discuss some items. Please do correct me and I will hopefully learn quickly.

Anyway, without getting too long winded I wish to discuss a small knife I picked up a few months ago. The research I have done so far indicates its made in NYC some time around the 1850s by Albert Coles. The pattern I believe is Jenny Lind and I've read elsewhere that it is a Breakfast knife. I'm surprised at how flexible and thin it is, to the point where I could hardly imagine it being used to eat with.

Anyway I have two questions.

• Can anyone make out what the initials are in the monogram? I have no idea.
  
• The second question I have is that there is notable wear on the side which does not have the monogram. Does anyone have any idea what this could indicate about the knife? How long / often does someone need to use an item like this in order for it to get worn down that badly?
  
• Also why would they monogram the side that does not have the hallmarks? Was this the standard thing to do?

I'll attempt to post the pictures below:

For the moderators, if you feel this post would be better served in an existing Albert Coles thread please have it moved. At any rate, ill post the link:

Albert Coles Jenny Lind (1850)

Thanks

posted 10-11-2019 02:23 PM            

That is a lovely find.

To my eye, you've posted the monogram photo upside down, and the letters are CMGB.

The uneven wear could just be the result of the person's polishing habits, or it might be because the knife generally lay on the side without the monogram.

posted 10-11-2019 07:40 PM            

Polly,
Upside down! I wasn't kidding when I said I was new at this! Thanks.

Now that you mention it, I completely agree that I had the monogram upside down. Before you said that I may as well have been looking at hieroglyphics. But I took a look at it again and think that you nailed it and its CMGB.

I also never considered that polishing habits could be the cause of uneven wear. I can picture it now, the same person polishing the same set over and over. Holding all the knives in the same hand, facing the same way each time. Of course that would cause uneven wear. Combined with laying the knives monogram up - as you would while setting the table. Makes sense. Thank you for that insight.

Still, I wonder how long or how often it would take? Is anyone using silver often enough to notice patterns of wear? Or is it something that happens over a few generations? Any insight on what daily use does to a piece?

Scott,
Thanks for cleaning up my post and making it flow much better. The maker's mark on the knife was the thing that made me buy it. I had no idea what they meant and just had to find out. I was blown away when I found out it was an American piece from the 1850's.

I love digging into the history of something. In this case finding out about Jenny Lind and 1850's America. I like to imagine what sort of journey this piece took in order for it to find its way into my home. Sad to think if I had not come along when I did, its next stop probably would have been the dump.

Again, thank you both very much for your time and expertise.

[This message has been edited by vez (edited 10-11-2019).]

[This message has been edited by vez (edited 10-11-2019).]

posted 10-20-2019 01:50 PM            

Getting back to the question of uneven wear, I never thought about the possibility that polishing had something to do with it. In this case, I suspect that if I had a few other pieces in the set, we may be able to determine a little bit more about whether it was a result of polishing or some sort of repair. Too bad I don't.

Kimo, you present an interesting question, that there may have been damage or an old monogram to cover up / get buffed out. It seems hard to even guess at a conclusion with my limited knowledge. My first amateur impression of the wear marks is this knife was laid out on a table - probably often, and it was always laid monogram up. But it’s just a guess.