Fob Mason - P D Mullins Mason Jewel Consisting of Three Hinged Gold; Washington County, Pennsylvania, Monongahela Chapter No. 249; Donora Lodge No. 626; McKean Commandery 80; Pennsylvania Consistory, 32 Degree Double Eagle

P D Mullins of Monongahela Chapter No. 249; Donora Lodge No. 626; McKean Commandery 80; Pennsylvania Consistory

The late 1800's to early decade of 1900's saw the height of Masonic and other fraternal elaborately engraved jewels presented to past master of the lodge. Some are works of jeweler art and they spared no expense to show their appreciation depending on the wealth of the lodge.

This particular jewel is unusual in that it commemorates the four organization PD Mullins belonged to in Pennsylvania.

It is a wonderful crafted jewel, even with some element missing. It is hinged and when open reveals beautiful enameling . Once on the double eagle 32 degree part of the jewel was a large diamond.

This jewel could be worn as a pendant or as a watch fob. It weights 40 grams and is very heavy for a small item and measures 1 3/8" high x 1" across.

I am trying to find more information on PD Mullins that I found years ago.......

To Be Continued...........more info coming about PD Mullins

Sterling Silver - Punch Strainer Blog - Thomas You, Sterling Silver Punch Strainer, c. 1753 - c.1786, Charleston Silversmith Hallmark TY, Never Know What You Find At Garage Sales

Thomas You, Sterling Silver Punch Strainer, c. 1753 - c.1786, Charleston Silversmith Hallmark TY, Never Know What You Find At Garage Sales

Thomas You, was not only a Charleston, South Carolina silversmith that practiced his trade in the 18th century, but was also known as a true patriot. During the siege of Charleston in 1780 he is the only silversmith that did not sign the petition asking General Lincoln to capitulate to the British. If this was found out he surely would have lost his life.

There is not the amount of quality southern silver as there is of their northern counterpart. They attribute this in part to first, the smaller population of wealthy southern families and second the contribution of period silver by wealthy southern families to help finance the Revolutionary War.

I found this punch strainer in 1996 at a garage sale. It was at the time in a box of cooking utensils and had tarnished to a completely black finnish or as they say, "black as sin." They say you should never clean antiques, but there is the exception to this rule, silver being one of them.

From my many hours of reading and researching the pages of, "Antiques," I knew right away that it was 18th century or the latest, first quarter of 19th century. I could not believe my lucky find. It was not only 18th century, but made by a documented southern silversmith, Thomas You, a rarity in itself.

Until you have inspected old silver with a loupe you will deprive yourself of the beauty and character etched into an antique piece of silver. Every scratch from the fine line to the deep gouge gives the piece a character that only when you see it close and personal so you realize this unseen beauty hidden in open view. As you look at it, there are literally hundreds of scratch marks that forms a wonderful abstract design giving each piece surface that own silver-gray glow of old silver. Difficult to describe unless you have inspected antiques up close with a loupe.

I have often romanticized about a wonderful piece of antique silver and its travel in time. This piece had survived the American Revolution, and amazingly it escaped being melted down in the cause of the freedom. During the Civil War, maybe the owners had it hidden it in some dark recess of a wall or attic but more likely buried in the woods, else it be plundered by some union soldier. It also has survived the many wars far from our shores allowing freedom in plain view as it safely survive the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. Maybe it graced an elegant sideboard or was stuffed in some drawer were it was a nuisance and finally the last owner before me decided to throw it in the $1 box at a garage sale.....what a journey. From its first home in a wealthy Charleston family to finally in the post modern technical age in cyberspace, what a journey.

And here as it continues it journey through wires the owners could not have imagined are some photos to enjoy.

Still elegant, even with missing handle

Sterling Silver Trophy - 1901 Series Race For Centre Island Cup Race, Second Place Sterling Trophy Bowl Award to Marcia, Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, 1890's Article and Etching of Seawankaha Commodore, Larchmont Commodore, New York Yacht Club and Corinthian Yacht Club of New YorkYacht Club of New York

1901 Series Race For Centre Island Cup Race,  Second Place Sterling Trophy Bowl Award to Marcia, Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, 1890's Article and Etching of Seawankaha Commodore, Larchmont Commodore, New York Yacht Club and Corinthian Yacht Club of New York

This a sterling silver bowl for the Centre Island Race Trophy won by the sloop Marcia which placed 2nd and so awarded. The  Marcia owners belonged to the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club that time was located on Oyster Bay, New York   They also had a land club at Seawanhaka Yachting Club that was located at 7 East 32 street New York, New York in 1890's.

I bought this bowl in 2004 from an auction house that was offered it. I  was taken with it's most unusual script and decided I would bid on it.  I am still trying to find the proper name for the style. The letters are written in an organic flowing style, unlike the period Arts and Craft style of the period but closer to the Nouveau which was taking off when bowl was won. It has element of nouveau, but with a organic flair.  The closest I could find was a script called  ribbon, shaded or threaded script, but this is definitely in a class of its own. 

The inscription on the bowl is as follows: 

SERIES RACES FOR THE CENTRE ISLAND CUP 1901  SECOND PRIZE Won by  MARCIA

The unusual script spells out:

Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club

Bowl  measures 9 1/2 inches across by 4 1/4 inches high and weights approximately 22 ounces. The bowl was executed by the silversmiths BLACK, STARR and FROST. It is marked Sterling and has a number 15 on one side and a hallmark of a shield with a fleur-de-lis clover.

This trophy was the for second annual Centre Island Cup Race. The year 1900 race had been such a success that the person that had donated the trophy for that race decided to offer a similar prize for competition during the 1901 season of Seawanhaka knockabout's owned by club members. the main trophy would be for winning the  the greatest number of races in a series of seven to  be sailed. The dates of the race would be  June 15 and 22, July 6, 20 and 27, August 10 and 17, 1901. 

Here is how the winner would be determined. In each race each yacht was credited with a number of points equal to the number of yachts she defeats, with one point added as a premium for entry. A yacht which start and does not finish or is disqualified will receive no points, but will be counted as a defeated yacht in assigning points to her competitor.  In order to qualify for the series prize a yacht must start in at leas five of the seven races .  No yacht shall be counted in awarding points to others after it has become impossible for her to qualify in this series.  The record of a yacht shall be the percentage which the total number of points to her credit at the end of the series bears to the total number of points she would have received had she won every race in  which started.  At lease two yachts had to be present to constitute a race.

In addition to the trophy cup to be awarded to the winner the cup would provide for a second prise to the yacht finishing second on the same system of scoring and to the winner of each individual race the usual pewter mug provided no other prizes are arranged for . There was an prize  for any crew that was strictly a Corinthian crew in all her races, the club presented individual Corinthian prizes to each member of the crew. Should the offer of the Centre Island Cup result in arousing sufficient interest the donor purposes continuing  the gift annually. 

This Club has a rich and historical past with a wonderful short history written by past Commodore P. James Roosevelt. He traces the inception of the club to present day in a most elegant and informative style. If you click on  www.Seawanhaka.org  it will take you to their beautiful website. 

The following image is of the inscription side of the bowl.  Visible is the reed edge at the top and bottom edge of the bowl.

Below you will see several images of the unusual  script that was applied attributing the bowl to the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club which the winner of trophy belonged.

Below you will find a scan of an article that appeared in The Illustrated American

This image below is the model room of the New York Yacht Club.

Below is an image of the Corinthian Yacht Club of New York at Tompkinsville, Staten Island

Below closeup of article above the model room of the Corinthian Yacht Club

The etching below is captioned : A winter's cruise ashore:  Atlantic Basin, Bay Ridge.  Far away to the eastward the angry sea beats against the bleak Long Island shore and the tiny craft fares not so well as her wealthy owner.

The 1890's etching below is captioned: A winter's cruise ashore:  Model room of the Seawanhaka Yacht Club, New York.  It is in this room that the famous Seawanhaka mess dinners are held on Saturday nights.

Close up below of the model room of the Seawanhaka

Article below showing 1890's Commodore of the Seawanhaka and The Larchmont Yacht Club

Below is Robert Center, Commodore of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club.

Sterling Silver - c. 1800's Antique Tiki Pin with Palm Leaf Made of Sterling Silver; Tiki of Iridescent Mother of Pearl Carved; Marked STER SIL with Early Tube Hinge

c. 1800's  Carved Tiki attached to a sterling silver pin in the shape of a palm leaf with serrated edge.  .  The fronds have been engraved  on the serrated solid shaped palm leaf.  It has an example of a early tube hinge. It is marked STER SIL, an early hallmark found on items from 1780-1820's. The mother of pearl Tiki has maintained its iridescent blue and greens which reflect its beautiful colors when held in different positions. It has been tightly secured to the leaf with two grommets. It still retains it's handle which protrudes out at the end.  I found this little treasure at a local antique shop where they were selling it as a pin with a monogram KB.  It does look like a KB if pin is worn with its tips straight up and down, but that not how you wear it.  This little treasure measures 1 5/8" x 5/8" . 

Below is a closeup of early tube hinge

Below is the hallmark showing sterling silver spelled STER SILV

1790 Native American Silver Nose Ring Made From British Coin

1790 Native American Silver Nose Ring Made From British Coin.  These are difficult to find and there are a couple out there in collections. If you had a loupe and could inspect it closely you would see letters from the coin. It is almost impossible to photograph, for it has been handled for 200 years.