Essex Jewelry and Antiques

Excellent c1815 American Coin Silver Fletcher Gardiner Teapot or Coffee Pot

$2,228.00

Presented is a fantastic old American coin silver teapot, by Fletcher & Gardiner. This piece dates to circa 1815-1822, when this partnership was active in Philadelphia (though Thomas Fletcher was originally a Massachusetts silversmith). The teapot is made in a very handsome and ornate style, decorated around the shoulder with a wide band of shell and acanthus leaf design, with a ruffled top edge and beadwork border. The spout and handles are likewise lavishly decorated with foliate designs where they join the body, with a little rosette on the top of the spout matching that on the side of the handle. Even the lid is wonderfully decorated with palmettes and acanthus leaves surrounding a very detailed bud form finial. The decoration is all hand chased with a great degree of skill and attention to detail, and even the wooden C-scroll handle is nicely carved with a foliate design for the thumbpiece. The teapot has a capacity of about 4 cups, or 40 fluid ounces/1.2 liters.

The underside is stamped with the maker's mark of Fletcher & Gardiner, Philadelphia. This piece is nitric acid tested and guaranteed coin (900) purity silver.

This piece is in great overall condition. The handle is tight to the body and likely original. There is an old solder repair to the inside at the bottom, and some spots of solder visible on the exterior, as you can see in the tenth photograph. There are no splits, no dents, no leaks, no monograms, and no monogram removals.

The teapot measures about 10 inches from spout to handle and stands about 8 7/8 inches tall.

This piece weighs 951 grams or 33.5 regular ounces. -jm