2 Estate antique 1834-1855 NEAR IDENTICAL COIN TEASPOONS Samuel ROCKWELL NY Mono

Description

We just plain folks, not experts nor dealers, so ASK questions or share info with us – Many o our items are from an old Yankee New England Maine family estate. Any discoloration is due to flash, lighting, your monitor. (Please see info about the clothing/wearables we sell below) - We combine shipping where safe to do so --Closeups are exaggerated so use measurements in desc and/or ruler/coin photos -- Internationals: we use eBay Global Shipping only - We have 5-10 day handling for health reasons, but if you need sooner LET US KNOW right away, we will do our best to accommodate if we can
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PLEASE READ ENTIRE LISTING and VIEW ALL PHOTOS
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NOTE: Last 4 photos show (1) Basic info from a silver website (2) Size of early coins (3) Rockwell's Obituary from the local newspaper (4) The 1850 Federal Census for the Rockwells
Pair Estate Antique 1834-1855 hand-forged FLATWARE
Nearly Identical
COIN SILVER TEA SPOONS
by Samuel D. ROCKWELL of New York, antebellum America (see bio below)
Monogrammed
Pretty period script monogram: TRP or TRS?
Holding the spoons makes you wonder, Who was this person, were these spoons part of a wedding dowry, or to celebrate a birthday, and what history did these spoons hold?!!  Monograms possible to buff out, but only a jeweler or silversmith could determine... but we say leave as is, beautiful!
**Beautiful Coin Spoons, in amazing condition for their 163 - 183 years of age! Likely these two were at the bottom and never or rarely used.
**These are nearly a perfectly nearly identical MATCHED pair: even the hallmarks are in the same location on the handles.  A BEAUTIFUL antique gift for your new bride and groom, birthday or anniversary present.
**We were told these are made by a highly collectable New York silversmith, compared to other makers, Rockwell pieces are rare and not as readily available.
READ BELOW the Rockwell Bio:
**DO NOT mistake thinking coin silver is inferior...
Nickel silver, yes, is inferior, so named as a marketing ploy to get people to associate this non-silver with Coin.  True coin silver is .900 while sterling is .925 - miniscule difference of 25/1000!!!  See info on Coin Silver below
**There is nothing nicer than eating ice cream with a Coin Spoon: its as if they were made for ice cream (pudding and custard too)!
**Bowls in amazing condition, Bowl Tips are smooth without dents, no denting, no pinpricks.
**Applied drop to affix handle to bowl, (instead of one solid piece) signifying these are likely earlier, the 1830s.
**Nicely rounded shoulders
**Straight stems with the tiniest manufacturing ripple where the handles were affixed to the stem, like the applied drop, signifies the hand manufacturing.
**Fiddle Tipt or tipped Handles
**Ornate period script, some wear from storage or use.
The soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing.
The excellent original condition and clear, crisp detail, with no removals, repairs or alterations.  These are in remarkably near-perfect condition, other than a dight of tarnish, and some wear to the monograms, they look like they were recently picked up at Mr. Rockwell's shop!
**Hallmarked ROCKWELL with an Eagle and C for Coin
FROM THE WEB:
SAMUEL DARLING ROCKWELL
of New York City & Yonkers, NY (b.1810-d.1888) Active c.1834-1855, silversmith, watchmaker, jewelry stores.
Listed as Watchmaker in 1850 Census
1860, 1870 Census: Listed as Real Estate Agent, wealthy enough to employ a live-in servant from Ireland
Birth
:
23 January 1810– Ridgebury, Fairfield County, CT
(parents: Runa and Rachel Darling Rockwell)
Married
:
9 September 1832
- Oril (Orel, Orill, Aurel) Janes Sherman,
of Branfield, Mass (parents: Jacob and Caphia Janes Sherman)
Children, 4
:   John William Sherman,
later of W. 79
th
Street, NYC
George L
. (died in childhood?)
Frances E “Fanny” Sherman Riker
, later of Maryland.
Julius Talcott Rockwell (
baptized in the First Dutch Reformed Church in Yonkers, Enlisted in Company K, Massachusetts 34th Infantry Regiment on 31 Jul 1862. Mustered out on 16 Jun 1865. No further info)
Occupation
:
1834 to 1836 as a silversmith and watchmaker journeyman in the shop of John M. Lockwood, NYC, said to have been so proficient, he was able to take over Lockwood's shop
Occupation
:
1834 to 1845 as a silversmith and watchmaker in New York City NY at 110 ½
Cherry Street.
1845 built a large residence in Yonkers, closed his NYC business and established a Watch/Jewelry enterprise on Main St. Yonkers.
Occupation:
1855, Appointed Secretary of the new Yonkers Savings Bank, sold his business and devoted his acumen full-time to the bank.
Family
:
Circa 1860, sold their home and relocated to a new home they built on Locust Hill Avenue.
Occupation
:
1867, Retired from the bank, Opened a real estate office and negotiated sales in the Yonkers area.
Retirement
:
1886, Sold his real estate business, retiring fully
Death
:
23 March 1888 - Yonkers, Westchester County, New York,
B
uried
:
Saint John’s Cemetery, Yonkers
FROM THE WEB:
COIN SILVER
"
Coin silver is surprisingly under-appreciated and undervalued. The often slender, thin profile of coin silver spoons reinforces the perception that coin silver is an inferior material. Not so!
Silver metallurgy proves there is value:
Sterling = 925 parts silver to 75 parts copper
Coin = 900 parts silver to 100 parts copper
A minuscule difference in the amount of copper 25/1000th to be exact.
**
Perspective must include the time period and economic conditions: Silver was still a scarce and very expensive material in the US from the 18
th
Century into the antebellum first half of the 19
th
Century.  The Comstock Lode, the first major silver strike in America, was discovered in 1859, a good 20 years after this spoon was made.
**
Coin silver? Melted money! Literally.
**
The hard currency or coins of the time bears little resemblance to the orderly system we know today. Coins came from many sources: English, Spanish, Dutch, and French coins mixed in with US coinage issued by each colony/state. Why were they all accepted? They were backed 100% by silver... because they were made of silver! It didnt really matter what was stamped on them.  Incidentally, w
ith its distinctive design and consistent silver content, the Spanish Dollar was the most trustworthy coin the colonists and new republic citizens knew.
**And coins then were tiny compared to today’s coins! Likely made small in order to cut bits out of the coin more easily.
To make change, the dollar coin was actually cut with shears into eight pieces or “bits.” Thus came the terms "pieces of eight" from these early times and "two bits" from our time; there's even a jumprope or clapping game or cheerleader song that goes "
Two Bits, Four Bits, Eight bits, A Dollar...! If you like to Jump Rope, Stand up and Holler!"
and of course,
"
Shave and a haircut  -- two bits!!
Who was the barber
-- Tom Mix!!
What did you sit in -- a chair!!
What did he cut off -- your hair!!
"
(with many variations)
**
Take a look at a coin spoon and you realize it took a LOT of coins for the silversmith to melt down to create the flatware.  Generally the coin goods were made for dowry and wedding gifts, and were handed down. A rich family could afford to have the silversmith create many spoons, while a less fortunate family might be lucky enough to save enough coins for one spoon.
Their thinness or thickness is based upon the amount of coins provided to the silversmith.
**
1849 is considered the end of coin silver manufacturing, because in 1850, Tiffany adopted the sterling standard to make their wares stand out.  Soon other silver manufacturers followed, and coin silver basically fell victim to being an outdated, old-fashioned, out-of-style commodity.
**
But passing over coin silver because you think it’s not ‘real silver’ is so wrong!  Remember that the actual difference in silver between coin and sterling is about 25/1000ths, barely any difference at all.  And if you see the photo above with the size of the coins, you can appreciate what it took to make just one spoon. But even more valuable is the astonishing story Coin Silver represents in American history!! If only they could talk!"
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PLEASE READ ENTIRE LISTING & VIEW ALL PHOTOS
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We'd love to see someone adopt and enjoy!
We are a smoke-free household with 2 hypoallergenic dogs (Standard Poodles) – We have 5-10 day handling for health reasons, but if you need sooner LET US KNOW right away, we will do our best to accommodate if we can
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Some General Info re: Silver charms and bracelets in our listings
--FYI: it is not unusual for sterling charms to be unmarked from this era: many charms came unmarked on display sales cards that had the maker and metal info; as well as jewelry items under a certain weight did not have to be hallmarked.
--FYI: Rhodium is in the Platinum family of metals.
It was often used in the 50s-70s to plate sterling silver to avoid tarnishing,
In the Rhodium plating process, 925 Sterling Silver is given a nickel underplate prior to Rhodium plating. The nickel is magnetic and causes the magnetic attraction.
--FYI: Sterling 925 or Euro Silver 800, 835, 900 - vintage European silver is highly collectible.
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RULES
Simple rules:
1. Please read entire listing & view ALL photos, then Bid/Buy ONLY if you plan to win and pay within 3 days.
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4. If life gets away from us, we will CONTACT you to let you know if there are any delays.
5.  IF you win and are in a hurry because of birthday or whatever TELL US THIS ASAP - before you bid/buy is best.  If we dont know about it, we cant do anything about it.
6. HONESTY is the best policy.  We are honest and do our best to describe accurately and ask you to use the photos to help you decide if you wish to bid. No refunds/No returns, so ask questions first.
7. When things are USED, they will not be perfect, so if you are looking for perfection, look elsewhere.
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10. WE DO NOT DO REFUNDS.  But some buyers just go ahead and go through eBay – when we prefer you contact us first if there is a problem, give us a chance to make things right for all.  PLEASE NOTE: we charge a 15% RESTOCKING FEE on the total amount if we determine the return is UNWARRANTED:
------Buyers Remorse.
------Changed Mind.
------Dont like Color.
------Dont like in general.
------Found another one same or similar for less.
------Doesn't fit.
------Bid or Bought without asking questions
------Bid or Bought without reviewing measurements in desc and/or photos to compare to buyer's own fitting garments
------Bid or Bought, quote, "By Mistake"
And other such unwarranted excuses.
If you go through eBay return system, expect a partial refund unless item is not as described.
--- Again, read #1 again. Buyers are expected to read entire listing, compare measurements, use photos, and ask questions if anything is unclear BEFORE bidding/buying.  Thanks for your understanding.
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12. PALINDROMES rule!
"Go hang a salami, Im a lasagna hog." "Solo Gigolos."
"Mr. Owl ate my metal worm."  "Was it a car or a cat I saw?"  "Never odd or even."
signed, Vorpalaprov
Hey!! Please pay promptly within 3 days so we can get your item(s) to you ASAP -- PLEASE KNOW we use Ebay's authorized '
Unpaid Item Assistant
' to open unpaid cases on our behalf, so if you don't pay within 3 days
EBAY WILL AUTOMATICALLY OPEN a NONPAYMENT CASE AGAINST YOU
!!
-----So PAY IMMEDIATELY or
CONTACT US
if you need more time! You dont want an Unpaid Strike against you!
-----Thanks, Good Karma! Here is another palindrome for your enjoyment: 'Marge lets Norah see Sharon's telegram.'
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PLEASE NOTE ABOUT THE CLOTHING/WEARABLES WE LIST: Any clothing /shoes/accessories we list are helping us to clean out our own closets, to empty boxes of stored goods from a friend’s boutique that went out of business, and to find homes for garments from catalog photoshoots. We sell as-is with no returns. We are now retired and moving things forward before we ourselves “move forward!!!”
---For all clothing/wearables we sell - new and especially used - we check for holes, tears, wear, spots, or any other imperfections before we list.  Whether new or used, we have made every attempt to note any flaws in our listings, but may miss something due to aging eyes and/or sheer ignorance about a particular item.
---We ask you to understand that even if we missed something in the description, you are still getting a BARGAIN compared to buying retail, so YOU may need to have the item cleaned, shaped, restored, refreshed, get a button replaced, stitch where threads have come loose, whatever...
----Many are just simply wrinkled from storage... Many can be worn as they are, but would benefit from a pressing or cleaning at winner's discretion -- especially worn garments, or even if clothing in new "store" condition, with or without tags, or New Old Stock, because they were once hanging on racks or in store displays, handled by shoppers, dumped in carts, possibly dropped, certainly tried on, some taken home & then returned to store, -- and/or often have a dingy look from dust and light soiling from handling, or evidence of being in storage.
THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING, LOOKING, & IF YOU PURCHASE --- WEAR/USE IN GOOD HEALTH!!!
PALINDROMES rule!
"Go hang a salami, Im a lasagna hog."
"Solo Gigolos."
"Mr. Owl ate my metal worm."
"Was it a car or a cat I saw?"
"Never odd or even."
Vorpalaprov
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
His Vorpal blade went snicker-snack…”
LaProv: good ol’ Providence Voh Dyelun