Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar

The Story Behind this Blog

Being from the South, Silver is a very big part of my life. It doesn't have anything to do with wealth. Although those with more money - old money, tend to have more of it. New money tend not to spend their money on Silver. They do not have the appreciation for the warmth of the metal, the beauty of the patina, the story it tells of the generations past who have used it. A true southern girl comes of age when she chooses her silver pattern, long before she chooses her mate. If she is smart, she chooses that of her mother, grandmother, or favorite great aunt who in their benevolence will pass their silver on to her. It is the pieces in those sets, the pieces on our tables, along with the pieces we find in the corners of the displays in antique stores that prompted me to start this blog. They are beautiful, they are odd, but what are they, and what in the hell do you do with them?

Friday, April 24, 2020

BMS 40 by Baker Manchester

Baker Manchester's BMS 40 pattern has a detailed floral design.

Baker Manchester BMS40 (Sterling) Five O'Clock Teaspoon

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

TWS 494

Another "Numbered" pattern, this is an example of TWS494 by Towle.

Place Soup Spoon (7 1/4 inches)

Towle Silver TWSTWS494 Place/Oval Soup Spoon

Monday, April 20, 2020

BMS 37 by Baker Manchester

Baker Manchester's BMS 37 pattern is a floral design.

Five O'Clock Teaspoon (5 1/8 inches)
Baker Manchester BMS37 (Sterling) Five O'Clock Teaspoon

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Engagement by Oneida

Mary Parker Fleming designed Oneida's Engagement pattern in 1952. Fleming also designed The Stately pattern was introduced (1948), Damask Rose (1946), designs of Stanton Hall (1951), Ribbon Rose (1942), and Castle Rose.

Cream Soup Spoon (6 1/2 inches)

Oneida Silver Engagement (Sterling,1952,No Monograms) Round Bowl Soup Spoon (Cream Soup)

Oneida Silver Engagement (Sterling,1952,No Monograms) Round Bowl Soup Spoon (Cream Soup)

Steak Carving Fork (8 5/8 inches

Oneida Silver Engagement (Sterling,1952,No Monograms) Small Steak Carving Fork with Stainless Prongs

Infant Feeding Spoons (5 5/8 inches)

Oneida Silver Engagement (Sterling,1952,No Monograms) Infant Feeding Spoon

Friday, April 17, 2020

Ivy League Patterns

I'm not sure if these patterns were named in honor of the Ivy League schools sharing the same name. In doing some research I was able to find patterns named after 4 of the original 6 colleges. I could not find a pattern for Princeton or Brown, And the Yale pattern is not sterling but silver plate. (Although, in all fairness, the silver plate of 1894 is very heavy and has much more sterling in its mix than plate of later years.)

Durgin introduced their Dartmouth pattern in 1917.

Durgin Dartmouth (Sterling, 1917) Fork

Mount Vernon's Harvard pattern dates back to 1914.

Mount Vernon Harvard (Sterling, 1914) Large Sugar Sifter

Mount Vernon's Princeton pattern was introduced in 1915.

Mount Vernon Princeton (Sterling, 1915) Teaspoon

Yale is a silver plate pattern by International that dates back to 1894.

International Silver Yale I (Silverplate, 1894) Individual Salad Fork

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

H239 by Gorham

Gorham's H239 pattern is described as a "pierced floral" pattern.

Strawberry Fork (5 1/8 inches)
Gorham Silver H239 (Sterling) Individual Berry Fork

Monday, April 13, 2020

Bread Knife

The Bread Knife is one of the largest pieces in any pattern. The serrated blade makes it easy to identify from other large knives, such as Roast Caving knives. However, there are a few patterns with Bread Knives that do not have serrated blades, such as Towle's TWS 350.

H140 by Gorham (15 inches)

Gorham Silver H140 (Sterling) Bread Knife with Silverplate Blade

TWS 350 by Towle (13 1/2 inches)

Princess Elizabeth by National (10 7/8 inches)

National Silver Co Princess Elizabeth (Sterling,1942) Bread Knife with Stainless Blade

Essex by Durgin (13 inches)

Durgin Essex (Sterling, 1911) Bread Knife with Silverplate Blade

Friday, April 10, 2020

BMS 50 by Baker Manchester

The design of BMS 50 by Baker Manchester is one of scrolls, similar to a Rococo pattern.

Orange spoon (5 3/8 inches)

Baker Manchester BMS50 (Sterling) Orange Spoon Bright Cut