Thomas Fletcher Fiddle, Shell and Thread Pattern Coin Silver Platter Spoon, Philadelphia, PA, c. 1835

This is a very impressive serving spoon and a great example of early American silver flatware. This rare platter spoon is in the classic Fiddle, Shell and Thread pattern and produced by the famous shop of Thomas Fletcher. This popular pattern features a bold shell at the top of the handle and threading along the handle edge. The design is also on the back of the handle. Engraved on the back are the initials 'BCS'.

Thomas Fletcher, in partnership with Sidney Gardiner and by himself after 1827, ran the most important silversmithey of the young republic, receiving commissions to make the most significant presentation silver of the day, including: The Dewitt Clinton Urns (Erie Canal, now at the Met), The George Armistead Punch Service (Commander at Fort McHenry, now at the Smithsonian), The Isaac Hull Urn (Commander of the Constitution, now in the Naval Historical Foundation's collection), etc.. Some of the best and most famous American silver in permanent museum collections was made by Thomas Fletcher or Fletcher & Gardiner.

This rare serving spoon is stamped 'TF,' 'P' for Philadelphia along with two pseudo marks - the marks 'may be presumed to have been used from about 1827-1842'. (1) The server measures 12.5 inches long, weighs 6 troy ounces and is in excellent antique condition.

Endnote:

1. Donald L. Fennimore and Ann K. Wagner, Silversmiths To The Nation Thomas Fletcher & Sidney Gardiner: 1808-1842, (Woodbridge: Antique Collector's Club, 2007), p. 268.