William Forbes Antique Coin Silver Mustard Pot, NYC, NY, c.1840s

This rare and beautiful mustard pot is octagonal in shape with flat, panel sides. Repousséd leaves and floral scenes decorate the sides with one pane engraved with an 'H' initial within a cartouche. The domed cover, with ball finial and cutout for a mustard spoon, is also beautifully chased with a circular scene of leaves and flowers. The cover is hinged to the scroll handle with an upturned thumb-piece.

Four beautiful cast feet adorn the base. The lovely, fitted cobalt glass liner is raised inside the frame by .75 inches from the base, an unusual feature. 

This impressive mustard pot is marked 'W.F' along with pseudo-hallmarks of a beaver, a star, and an eagle. It is also stamped by the retailer 'BALL, TOMPKINS & BLACK/ NEW YORK.' William Forbes was an important New York City maker, and Ball, Tompkins and Black (later Ball, Black & Co, then Black, Starr & Frost) was a very famous jeweler.

It measures 4 inches across the handle by 3.5 inches high. The lovely liner is hand-blown and appears original. While the liner does not have a cutout for a mustard spoon, the cutout in the lid is deep enough to accommodate a spoon over the liner. The silver weighs 7.30 troy ounces, and it, along with the glass, is in excellent condition.