American Fiddle Pattern

[admin]

here's a pictorial evolution of the fiddle pattern in America that shows its course through the 19th century. It is a "quick & dirty" compilation with some gaps and there is probably room for some minor dispute in the ordering.

.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,
I was surprised to see the coffin ended spoon, was it a common style in American spoons and what date would that have been from?,
regards Trev.
.

[admin]

Hi Trev,
I've read that coffin ends came into being as a mark of mourning for the death of George Washington. True or not, they are generally thought to have first appeared in the last couple of years of the eighteenth century, (non-fiddle variety) and were made until about 1815. However, Francis Bigelow in "Historic Silver of the Colonies" illustrates a couple of dated "Mourning" examples from 1775 & 1777 by Daniel Rogers of Newport, RI.

I was also surprised the first (and only) time I came across one with British Hallmarks. What is the story on them over there?

Regards, Tom
.

[dognose]

Hi Tom,
They are quite rare over here, I've only ever seen about half a dozen of them, they are usually dated 1800-1810 and I've never seen one made outside London. I always asumed that the style came first and when people refered to them as coffin ends they became unpopular!
regards Trev.
.