NNP

A Rare Ephraim Brasher Colonial American Coin Silver Place Spoon. New York City, circa 1780; 9 inches long; 1.91 troy ounces. Condition: Errant nicking and scratching, otherwise in overall good condition. Spoon with engraved monogram HF in period script, double-stamped to reverse in square cartouches EB. Preceding Ephraim Brasher's well-documented foray into coinage production was his equally respected business of producing silver flatware and hollowware. Patrons including George Washington, the Van Rensselaer family, and other prominent early American families decorated their tables with his high-quality wares. A particularly overt display of wealth in the bullion-starved colonies, this large spoon (undoubtedly part of a larger table service) is of thicker gauge than the majority of flatware produced by his contemporaries. The bullion value of 1.91 troy ounces in coin silver was a little over $2.00 when this spoon was produced, not including any additional cost for craftsmanship. That represented nearly one-week's wages for the common laborer at the time who earned 44 cents per day, according to an 1885 Massachusetts wage report. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15057, realized $870. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.