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Philadelphia Coin Silver Spoon - John Townsend
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Reference: S1832
Period: George III
Year: Circa 1820
Silversmith: John Townsend
Place: Philadelphia
Price: $ 190.00
Weight: 13 grams
Dimensions: 15.2 cm
Condition: Fair, spoon is quite thin, was originally made thin, numerous dents and scratches.
Description: A rare Philadelphia coin silver teaspoon, in the American Fiddle pattern, made by John Townsend. The spoon has original owners script initials engraved on both sides, ALH on the front and AH on the back. The makers mark J.TOWNSEND in rectangular punch is clearly struck, this is a rare makers mark, not illustrated in the book "Philadelphia Silversmiths and related Artisans to 1861", by Catherine Hollan, which has over 3800 entries. The punch itself is interesting, the letters are not quite properly aligned, with the E lower than the S, so perhaps the punch itself was home made. John Townsend was born in 1789 in Pennsylvania, he was listed as a jeweller, clockmaker and watchmaker, he worked between 1811 and 1860. His son John K Townsend was born in 1809, he practised as a watchmaker and dentist, first in Philadelphia and later in Washington. Philadelphia was the largest silver market in the USA between 1760 and 1820. Our interest in this particular spoon is that Townsend shares a name with Cape Silversmith John Townsend, who worked at the same time, between 1824 and 1841 in the Cape. We have not established if there is a family connection, more research is required.
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Philadelphia coin silver spoon - J Townsend
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J Townsend philadelphia silver spoon
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Philadelphia silver spoon back - townsend
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Philadelphia silver spoon bowl, note dents
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Philadelphia silver spoon townsend - scale
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