Rare Kentucky Coin Silver Fork, Small Town Silversmith
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Once again I am pulling a few pieces of Southern coin silver out of the recesses of the family sugar chest. Frankly, I am surprised myself when I rediscover these pieces! Please check our auctions this next week as we try to list a variety of pieces from Ky, Virginia, and possibly other Southern states. Offered is a rarely found Kentucky-made fork by Warren B. Ewing of Bourbon and Shelby Counties. I do believe this example, unlike most forks that were retailed in Ky., was actually hand crafted by the silversmith. Measuring 6 1/2" long, it's an odd size for one thing and, if you'll note the tines, t is a slight "spread" or uneveness from the making, not the using. Besides, Ewing was noted for making flatware pieces "that were forged out and polished by hand" (per Lockwood Barr's 1942 "Checklist of Kentucky Silversmiths" in the Filson Club collection). Ewing was active primarily in Shelbyville from the 1840's through the "Late Unpleasantness" of the 1860's. For further information on this smith, I encourage any collector or scholar to refer to Mark Boultinghouse's exceptional compilation of biographies which as become the standard reference in the field, namely his 1980 publication Silversmiths, Jewelers, Clock and Watch Makers of Kentucky 1785-1900. Condition is quite good, with minor abrasions from actual use, but no damage. The
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