American Hallmark

[Argentum]

Any idea about the marks in the image below which I am told are American:

[Jag]

See the previous post in this section titled "Coin w/ Early Mass State Seal Hallmark Motto HELP". This shares the Native American with bow and arrow mark. So it could be an alternate mark for Theophilus Bradbury II. But it could also be an alternate mark for his son Ebenezer Bradbury, or for the father/son partnership.

The BE makes makes me think the most likely is that it is an alternate mark for Ebenezer working by himself. Possibly right after he left the partnership with his father. He started working for and then working with his father in the early 1800's. If you show a picture of the spoon it may help date it.

(The above is all from the American Silversmiths link on the "Links" page. Wev maintains that incredibly useful database and hopefully he'll see this and contribute what he knows).

[Argentum]

Jag, many thanks for that most interesting post. I await further remarks on what is a completly new sphere for me. The marks appeared on a ladle an image of which is below:



Just one question: is the Indian with bow and arrow a mark for Massachusetts or for Bostn?

[Jag]

Thanks for asking. The seal actually has an interesting history. It is for the state of Massachusetts, not Boston. Relevant to this site, it was first engraved by Paul Revere in 1780, replacing a different one he had done earlier. Here's a link to how it came about: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/presea/sealhis.htm