Posted 11 years ago
BHock45
(807 items)
This is a coin silver spoon. I was wondering if anyone had information about it. I am wondering if it matches what I found, just to see if I am on the right track with this stuff. The hallmark reads:
"N.HAWLEY"
Monogrammed LL in cursive. I do not know when it was made. Any ideas? Thanks again everyone!
Is there a coin silver category or sub-category?
Thanks vetraio50 and mikkochristmas11. mikkochristmas11 I hoped you would see this post, I know you would like it. I have a few more coin silver spoons to post this week, including a few mysteries! Thanks for the love.
Gorgeous old American spoon! This one’s a bit of a toughie. I don't have reference works on colonial silver at home, so I can only offer some suggestions on how to proceed. You might have to dig a good long time on this one.
The “N” presumably stands for “Nathan” or “Nathaniel” Hawley, but I didn’t find anything under those names. I searched a bit, and though I didn’t uncover very much, I wanted to give you what I found so that you don’t have to repeat my searches.
I found this same spoon on eBay – dated by the Seller at circa 1810, or “about 200 years old”. Strangely, his description included the words “SOUTHERN NORTHERN”, presumably because he couldn’t identify where this Hawley practiced? If you are the Buyer, I would ask the Seller where he got his information. Perhaps he will say ‘from the style’.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ca-1810-N-Hawley-Coin-Silver-Spoon-10-3-grams-Not-Scrap-Southern-Northern-/140892583987?pt=Antiques_Silver&hash=item20cdda3833
Have a look at Lot No. 567 below, which features a very fine American "New York Classical" style coin silver tea service marked 'N. Hawley', circa 1815. I would email this Seller and ask him for his source of information on N. Hawley. He must know something about him. This is a significant early American tea service, and it shows that this “N. Hawley” was a respected silversmith. Note that Seller identifies the service as “New York”.
http://www.nealauction.com/archive/1204/lot/silver/
I didn’t find your Hawley in the great online database of American Silversmiths – as a silversmith or as a jeweler; however, I did find some Hawleys in the area around Syracuse, NY. Have a look.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths/tagtwonames7.htm
I think it likely that N. Hawley was related to one of the Reuben/John Dean/Oliver Andrew HAWLEYS, a family of silversmiths. The first Hawley I have record of is Rueben Hawley (circa 1797-1835), operated in Chittenang, NY. He was father to John Dean Hawley and Oliver Andrew Hawley.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths/22931.htm
I see that John Dean Hawley (1821-1913) was apprenticed to William Wallace Willard of Cazenovia, NY. I see that JDH later became Willard’s partner, and that the firm operated in Syracuse first as WILLARD & HAWLEY, later as WILLARD, HAWLEY, & CO.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths/103713.htm
Willard:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths/128661.htm
OAH (1825-1874) worked c. 1845 as a silversmith and jeweler in Cazenovia, NY. He was a partner from 1848 to 1850 with Fayette Tracy in Cazenovia, NY, operating as TRACY & HAWLEY. For some reason, the link to OAH is not working, so you’ll have to navigate to that page via Reuben’s page or the main silversmith list.
Axello Fayette Tracy (born 1818) operated as a silversmith in Oswego, NY, before he partnered with OAH. He operated with OAH as “TRACY & HAWLEY” in Cazenovia, NY.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths/183216.htm
Follows a Source List for this great database. For info on JDH and WW, consult Nos. 18, 12, and 4. For OAH, consult No. 17. For Tracy, consult No. 18. I would also consult Nos. 4, 8, and 38 for all the silversmiths. And also consult the census for N. Hawley. If you find an N. Hawley identified in the census as a silversmith or jeweler, then you could search for a city directory for that area. It could provide you with more information.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths/sources.htm#17
I also found a Horace H. Hawley operating in partnership with Almon Leach (1823-?) and George Leach as Hawley & Leach, of Utica, NY, operative circa 1853-1856. Almon Leach later partnered with a “Bennett” as LEECH & BENNETT. I didn’t find any information on Bennett.
http://www.925-1000.com/americansilver_H.html
You will recall that I earlier gave you the following link, which lists great resources for researching American coin silver.
http://www.ecommercebytes.com/forums/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=16013
Here’s another resource.
http://www.imperialhalfbushel.com/CoinSilverUnattributedMarks.htm
Finally, you could check with the New York Historical Society.
http://www.nyhistory.org/
Good luck to you, sir!
mikkochristmas11....as usual I appreciate your thoroughness and dedication to helping other collectors. It looks like you caught me. I am the ebay buyer of this spoon. I didn't mention that because I am still learning about what appropriate prices are for these type of spoons.
Your line of research is very similar to the one I went through before actually bidding on this piece. The actual reason why I did buy it was because I could not find an exact match anywhere. Thus, it must have been rare for a good or a bad reason. The good, not many were made. The bad, it is a fake or it is not collected.
I will use your suggestions to narrow this one down. I do love the spoon, and the clarity of the hallmark.
Thanks, Brett
Hi, Brett! Thanks much for your very kind note, and you're welcome. I was in a huge hurry when I posted my comment, and later regretted omitting this. Frankly, I am quite astonished by how quickly you are now finding your way around the silver realms - I noticed it this morning on your English sterling spoon. You learn mighty quickly. I hadn't meant to spend any time on CW this morning - very busy day - but I took a peek at the emailed list this morning and saw that you have bountiful loot, and then had to take a peak at the postings. Mistake that, for I progressed from triumph to triumph. Bravo! I think that your assessment of Hawley's relative rarity is correct, and I think that this is a splendid spoon. (A wonderful find! If I were rich, I might have been bidding against you. : ) ) One thing I would follow up on is emailing the owner/dealer of the silver tea service. It's in Seller's interest to know a bit about N. Hawley. You're so welcome, and thank you, sir. Best wishes for success. Gotta fly now. Regards, miKKo
mikkochristmas11...thank you very much. I have been this way my entire life. I have a perhaps..."hyperactive" attention span. But when something strikes my interest I have to try very hard not to make it an obsession! But I have to thank you and others for helping me learn, and continue to learn on CW. Ok, have a great day!
Oh yea! and it is not all shiny and glorious! I was hoping more than any of my postings that you would see this fork. For some reason I prize it above all. Don't know why???
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/76215-fraget-silver-plated-fork-1896-1915?in=user
Take care!
I'm getting in on this late, but I've got a spoon w/ the same mark and came across this exchange while trying to expand my info on the maker, whom I "beleive" to be Noah Hawley, NY,NY 1816 ; ref. The Book of Old Silver by Seymour Wyler. The piece has made it down through my family and if I've got the mono initials (very similar engraving style to your's) matched right the periods are consistent. On with my search.
Hi shadaroba, You are correct. I have they same info. as you and found it in the same book. Just didn't update it yet. Thanks for the help!!