Antique c1760 Rare Colonial American Silver Dish by Ludwig Heck 9 1/4" X 7"

Presented is a wonderful old silver oval form dish. This piece dates to circa 1760, and we believe it is the work of Ludwig Heck, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania silversmith. The bowl is done in a simple oblong form, with a gently shaped edge. The silver has a lovely old mellow patina, and makes a handsome display piece.

The dish is stamped with a maker's mark of LH on the underside, and this is the only hallmark. We believe this is the mark of a Lancaster, Pennsylvania silversmith, Ludwig Heck, circa 1760. Given the simplicity of the stamp and the lack of other marks, it's hard to say for  sure that this is his mark. There is another possibility, a maker's mark of LH for an unidentified Dublin maker, example shown on page 242 of Wyler's The Book of Old Silver. Considering that Irish maker's marks tended to be stamped twice, often with an additional mark of sterling/starling and a city mark, we don't feel this is likely to be an Irish piece. The only way to be more certain would require spectroanalysis of the specific composition of the silver, and comparing the results with those from known pieces of colonial American and Irish silver.

This piece is in great overall condition. There has possibly been a monogram removal to the side of the dish, on one or both of the long sides. If there were monograms removed, it was done so professionally that it's difficult to be sure there was anything there at all. The silver is thick and sturdy. There are no splits, no breaks, no dents, no monograms, and no repairs.

The dish measures about 9 1/4 by 7 by 1 1/4 inches, LxWxH.

This piece weighs 307 grams or 10.8 regular ounces.

-jm