Presented is a wonderful antique American coin silver pipkin or brandy/sauce warmer, made by John Goodhue and dating to circa 1848. The pipkin is made in a simple, clean-lined style, with a reeded lip around the top and a finely turned wooden handle. The front of the piece, opposite the handle, is nicely engraved with a presentation reading “M.A.R. to A. A. C. and S. C. R 1848” and then “W. A.R. to M.H.K. 1924.” So a charming silver heirloom that has been presented twice, 76 years apart.
This piece is in good overall condition. There is an old solder repair where the handle meets the body, visible from the exterior as a wider silver “patch” around the handle. This repair is pointed out in the interior in the tenth photograph and the exterior in the ninth photograph. The body of the warmer has a couple of fairly minor dents here and there, the most noticeable of which is visible in the eighth photograph. The handle has a minor split or age line part way along its length, but this does not extend all the way through or all the way to the joint, and the handle still feels quite sound. There are no splits to the silver, no leaks, no monogram removals, and no repairs.
The underside is stamped with the maker's mark of John Goodhue, a Salem, Massachusetts silversmith active circa 1822-1855, as well as “Pure Coin” for 900 purity silver.
The sauce warmer is about 4 3/4 inches tall at the height of the handle, or about 2 1/2 inches tall at the rim.
The length from handle to opposite side is about 9 1/4 inches, while the diameter of just the pan portion is about 4 inches.
This piece weighs 208 grams or 7.3 regular ounces. -jm
