posted 09-04-2025 04:14 PM            

This is a teaspoon recently purchased from the UK which was described as possibly provincial. A friend suggested it might be American, and a candidate I came up with is William Vilant of Philadelphia. I am not very familiar with American silver. Would teaspoons typically have been marked with two maker's marks? The Winterthur Museum website has a tablespoon by William Vilant marked three times. Any information or ideas would be much appreciated! Thank you!

posted 09-05-2025 11:53 PM            

William Vilant, gm (1723-25 adv)
Probably born in Scotland, he was son of merchant David Vilant (d1710 NY) of Perth Amboy, NJ and of New York from 1691. William probably lived with him in both places, and was probably involved with goldsmith David Lyell who witnessed David Vilant's will in 1707. He was a goldsmith in Philadelphia by 2 July 1723 when he sold some of his father's NJ property (NJ, Deed C, pp. 555-557). A witness to this deed was Peter Feurt, a journeyman silversmith employed by Vilant. He advertised the sale of other land in East NJ (12 August 1725). It is suggested he returned to New York, partly be- cause one of his marked tankards (with a Philadelphia style domed lid) was later engraved with political panels signed "Joseph Leddel Scupt. 1750" and Joseph and Mary Leddel's initials "L/IM" (of New York); the tankard is now in the Historic Deerfield Collection, Some six tankards are known by him. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art each have one.