Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

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silverly
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Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by silverly »

Looking for help identifying the L star R mark on this spoon. Thank you in advance.

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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by Aguest »

::::: I just had this weird intuition that the marks reminded me of Hotchkiss & Schroeder based on the font of the hallmarks or something, I really don't know why I thought of Hotchkiss & Schroeder but this piece somehow spoke to me so I did some research :::::

:::::: In 1857 David Hotchkiss and Andrew B. Schreuder created a new partnership Hotchkiss & Schreuder, silver wholesale manufacturers at 95 Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY continuing the production of some of the patterns manufactured by Bunnelle & Schreuder. The partnership lasted until 1871 and Andrew B. Schreuder continued in business alone.
In 1895 the business was sold to Syracuse Silver Manufacturing Co, an organization formed by the partners of A. Lesser's Sons, whoìesale jewelers, for the manufacture of sterling silver novelties.
In 1897 was formed Lesser & Rheinauer. The business was closed in 1898.

CHRONOLOGY
Norton, Seymour & Co 1853 - 1857
Bunnelle & Schreuder 1853 - 1857
Hotchkiss & Schreuder 1857 - 1871
A.B. Schreuder 1871 - 1895
Syracuse Silver Mfg Co 1895 - 1897
Lesser & Rheinauer 1897 - 1898

::::: There's one other archive of a pair of breakfast knives (coincidentally also in the Medallion pattern) and it seems like a match to my eyes. ::::::
silverly
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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by silverly »

Brilliant; makes great sense. Thank you!
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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by Aguest »

::::: Rainwater may have more information if you are interested to find out more about Lesser & Rheinauer ::::::
::::: I found another Medallion spoon example, it's odd that all I can find are medallion examples from L & R. ::::
::::: Wonder why L & R would buy the company and then liquidate the company within 1 year? ::::::
::::: I don't know, it's just pure speculation, but if you have a copy of Rainwater there should be more information :::::
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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by silverly »

The court found that they were broke at their end.
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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by Aguest »

::::: Also the predecessor to L & H this Syracuse Silver Mfg. Co. there are only examples of the Medallion pattern just like L & H. ::::::
::::: Maybe they still pretended to be a big factory so they could get emergency loans all the while only one single pattern remained. ::::
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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by Aguest »

:::: Sorry meant to type L & R and also the Medallion pattern I always associated with 1860-1880 primarily because of Gorham's Medallion pattern that was patented in 1864 so I was thinking it would be a little out of fashion so close to the year 1900 but I guess people were still buying it. :::::

:::: My silver-collecting friend passed away recently and he was friends with the author who wrote a book on Silver Medallion Flatware ::::
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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by silverly »

Sorry to hear that. What a friend to have.
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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by dragonflywink »

Late to this, but it is Hotchkiss & Schreuder's circa 1867 pattern, shown in Soeffing's 'Silver Medallion Flatware' (1988), pages 58-59, including the Syracuse Silver and Lesser & Rheinauer marks, and also in the appendix, reprinting his 1985 article in 'Silver' magazine noting Rainwater research, pages 106-111. Your mark is found in Rainwater (4th edition) on page 194, including citation of a 1991 Soeffing article in 'Silver'.

~Cheryl
silverly
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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by silverly »

Thank you Cheryl. A couple of my favorite references have gone missing since our last move which included an edition of Rainwater. Probably won't see them again for a long time.
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Re: Medallion Spoon Trademark / Pseudo Hallmark Identification

Post by dragonflywink »

Heh, same thing happened to me when I had to move rather quickly to my Mom's as 24/7 caregiver - my always handy 4th Ed. Rainwater got stuffed in a box, couldn't find it and ended up buying a cheap used copy (actually in better shape than mine was)...

~Cheryl
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