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Cape Silver Sugar Tongs - John Townsend, Pseudo Hallmarks
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Reference: S11349
Period: George IV
Year: 1824-1841
Silversmith: John Townsend
Place: Cape
Price: $ 360.00
Weight: 44 grams
Dimensions: 14.5 cm
Condition: Excellent.
Description: A pair of Cape silver sugar tongs, in the Fiddle pattern, made by John Townsend. The tongs are plain, with no engraving, and are in excellent condition. The Cape silver pseudo hallmarks are very clear, makers mark JT with indent at the top of the punch, pseudo duty mark, pseudo lion passant, pseudo date letter a and the tree mark, all struck individually, this is makers mark 123 in Welz (Cape Silver and Silversmiths), but in a different orientation (all at 90 degrees). John Townsend (1800-1875) was an interesting character, described by Heller as one of the top 5 Cape silversmiths. He arrived in the Cape in 1821 on the ship Duke of Marlboro, and was involved in a number of businesses, including a hotel and auctioneering business, in addition to being goldsmith, silversmith, jeweller and watchmaker. He was embroiled in a number of court cases, mostly due to bad debt, in 1849 he stated "insufficient means to support his 10 children". He moved to Okiep in Namaqualand in 1852 as Manager of Spektakel Copper Mine, but was insolvent by 1868. He died in 1875, and is buried in the Springbok cemetery. He fathered 24 children by 3 wives, the last at age 74. We thank his descendant Guy Barker for this information. Cape silver sugar tongs are quite rare, all date after 1815 when English silversmiths arrived in the Cape, they are mostly plain, as is this example.
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Cape Silver Sugar Tongs - John Townsend, Pseudo Hallmarks
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John Townsend, Cape silver Pseudo Hallmarks
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Cape Silver Sugar Tongs
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John Townsend Cape silver tongs
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Cape Silver Sugar Tongs - John Townsend
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