Lion P, Star Hallmarked Spoon

[richsteckler]

Hello

This fairly standard 8 3/4 inch fiddle spoon has a mark (city?) I have not been able to find in the standard books. Perhaps it is not British?

Rich

[doc]

This is a "faux hallmark" on an American coin silver spoon. The mark is a lion/star/D, and is tentatively attributed to Nelson Haight, a silversmith from Newburgh, NY working from 1839-1859

[wev]

While I agree it is likely a NY state pseudo, the Haight attribution is one of the more unlikely ones put forth. There is nothing in the records to indicate that he was anything more than a mildly successful retail jeweler in Newburgh. His own mark is found twinned with half a dozen pseudo marks (including this one), which are, in turn, also seen twinned with a dozen or more retailer's names across New York. Without something more concrete than a feeling or suspicion, such assertions of attribution are merely chimera and wishful thinking.

Nelson Haight died in 1852, so I am presuming the 1859 end date to be a typo.

[silverly]

There is a Nelson Haight who is listed in the 1860 Newburgh census as a master jeweler noteably along with his wife Cecelia and two sons that are jeweler's apprentices.

[silverly]

Actually, I find a Nelson Haight in New York, New York in the 1870 census. He's listed as a watchmaker, and one son is listed as a retail jewelry dealer and another is listed as a watchmaker.

There is a listing in the 1880 census for New York, New York with Cecelia Haight and three of her sons. Nelson is no longer listed at that time.

[Trefid]

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.