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I've a set of 5 engraved demitasses with this mark, and next to the mark on all 5 pieces are the engraved dates "1874-1893". Either someone the spoons were made earlier as plain coin pieces and engraved later, or we'll have to revise this unknown maker's dates. Interestingly, the pseudo's ...

According to Dr. D. Albert Soeffing, star,lion,D is the mark of silversmith John L. Westervelt, Newburgh, NY, working ca. 1848-1904. There are a couple of articles by Dr. Soeffing on Westervelt in Silver Magazine: Sep/Oct 1992, beg. p.12, and Nov/Dec 1992, beg. p.16.

Your manufacturing mark has been attributed to Benjamin Gurnee of New York City. His name is not found in city directories after 1861.
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This mark attribution has Don Soeffing's stamp of approval as well. He illustrates it on p. 48 of his SILVER MEDALLION FLATWARE (New York City: New Books, Inc., c1988) in connection with Philo B. Gilbert's MEDALLION pattern, calling it "Gilbert's early mark, circa 1859-65." Gilbert's "...

Someone on another forum which shall be nameless has christened this pattern "QUEEN OF THE SEA." I've seen examples of it with several manufacturing marks on them: e.g., Philo B. Gilbert's early mark, "Gorham & Thurber", and the regular Gorham sterling mark. Perhaps there was...

I've seen a ton of James Watts flatware, and I've never seen holes in a shell-shaped bowl like that. I think they've been added so the sugar shell or preserve spoon could become a sugar sifter.
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