Unknown Eagle with D Marking

[harleyboss]

I have several silver items that I cannot identify the markings. Please advise if you have any
information on this mark. I do not know if it is American or European. Thank you.

[dognose]

Hi Jennifer,

Welcome to the Forum.

I've embedded your image as very few people will click on links.

The eagle mark is usually identified with Philadelphia makers and the 'D' would denote 'Dollar' the source of the material. D. Sanders would likely be the name of the retailer rather than the actual maker.

Trev.

[harleyboss]

Trev...

Thank you for your reply. I do not know if you can tell if there is any
age or time period of the silver piece. If you have any idea's please advise.

Thank you again for assisting with the photo, I was having trouble understanding
method to attach photo. Thank you again. Russ

[dognose]

Hi Russ,

My knowledge of American silver is pretty basic, but I would have thought somewhere around the 1830's - 1850's period.

Hopefully one of our American members can give a better timeline.

Trev.

[silverly]

There was a Deloss Sanders in Cortland, New York in the Census and directories around the 1870's. He was born in New in about 1837 and was a jeweler and retailer. The pseudo hallmarks are unknown to me, but I believe there style is also attributed to New York State manufacturers. Good luck with your research.

[harleyboss]

Once again, thanks to Silverly for the additional information on Deloss Sanders of New York.

I did get some information that in the Beldon book on page 371, it has a "sanders" mark. But I no idea if that is of this marking.
I will try to get the Beldon book to see page and see if it matches up and may have additional information. Hope Library has available.

Once again, thanks to all who have been so helpful.

Russ

[Traintime]

Curtisville Manufacturing Co, Connecticut....apparently used a D mark c.1850's. Any chance? Real close to New York dealers.

[Traintime]

Add..later owned by Thomas Vail, engaged in German silver and plate. Thence to American Sterling Co.. The mark C.S. Or COIN were used for American silver made from monetary recycling. Maybe Sanders learned his trade with Curtis/Curtisville and kept up a relationship buying stock that he plated himself, a common practice here.

[dragonflywink]

Not sure I'm following why this spoon would have any connection at all to Curtisville Mfg. Co., a silverplate manufacturer - it's American coin silver. The retailer might be DeLoss Sanders, as Silverly suggests, though his working dates would seem a bit late. The pseudo-marks like this were usually used by New York state jobbers around the 1830s-'50s dating suggested by Dognose - so far as I know, that set of marks remain unattributed...

~Cheryl

[harleyboss]

Once again... Thank you for all the help and ideas on these silver pieces.

[silverly]

The retailer might be DeLoss Sanders, as Silverly suggests, though his working dates would seem a bit late. The pseudo-marks like this were usually used by New York state jobbers around the 1830s-'50s dating suggested by Dognose - so far as I know, that set of marks remain unattributed...~Cheryl

It is only a slightest possibility that DeLoss Sanders is correct, and I should have stated that earlier. Thank you Cheryl.

[Traintime]

Have we established that the material is in fact coin? Don't be fooled by what the type of mark suggests. As to Curtisville, it was a German silver maker that came from the F. Curtis & Co. partnership.(They knew how to work metals, not just plate them) The reason for the D mark used by the later company is unclear and whether it comes from the earlier firm is not clear. (I don't have a mark for them) Is there a technical reason why they could not have taken on special orders in coin perhaps adding the eagles to designate this medium? A small firm needing business may take on whatever the market provides, especially in these early years. Not trying to grasp for straws here, but you don't get answers without examining possibilities, even if the probabilities seem small. Any hard evidence that rules out the Curtis firms would be useful--not writing them off because we presume to know for sure.

[Traintime]

Just an additional thought...the letter D can potentially represent Deutsche. This could be the Curtis meaning. Likewise, if an eagle were to stand in for "Silver", we could get German Silver as the meaning of the mark here. Long shot bet for sure.

[dragonflywink]

The eagle/D/eagle pseudo-mark is not unknown, only unattributed - I've seen it before, and though not a book I own, it does appear in McGrew's 'Manufacturers' Marks on American Coin Silver' (2004), as belonging to an unknown upstate New York maker. There is no real reason to believe this piece is anything other than typical American coin silver, it is not German silver, and the 'D' has nothing to do with 'Deutsche', but if you believe there is a connection to F. Curtis & Co. or to Curtisville Mfg., please cite a reliable source for the attribution...

~Cheryl

[Traintime]

Thanks Cheryl. I never said this was a conclusive identification, but only a possible line of inquiry for researching some unanswered questions: composition, maker, dealer, date.
What do we have? Samples of items with a mark said to come from the general area of upstate New York in an unspecified period (1800 - 1830?). It would be nice to find out what the "credible" source sampled and if they actually tested for coin rather than went on the basis of general knowledge of markings.
As to Curtis, online record shows Frederick Curtis born in New York (state?) circa 1816. He next turns up in the Hartford area circa 1830's - 1840's. He is a silver maker. He buys land. He opens F. Curtis & Co. And begins to use a mark that is now identifiable (samples online).
An item with the new mark is currently listed as "coin" but no mention of a test.
There seems to be a suggested dealer on the D-Eagles samples that is another dead end unless someone digs deeper.
Again, I am not making a conclusion but, whatever D-Eagles means, would you consider Curtis as one of the possible candidates to have made these items prior to his forming a Connecticut firm that is not very far from upstate New York, especially if someone does establish that he made items in coin?

(admin edit - see Posting Requirements )