american silver antiques

The styles of early American silverware were dominated by New England. New England styles, in turn, were an imitation of the prevailing modes of the mother country, the more so inasmuch as silver is essentially a luxury item. In order to follow the style trends of Colonial silver design it is sometimes necessary to look at the influences shaping English taste.

From teapots and tankards to snuff boxes and swords, silver played a daily role in the affluent Colonial American home. Among the master silversmiths are Paul Revere II, Jacob Hurd, Myer Myers, and Joseph and Nathaniel Richardson.

Perhaps the most prominent citizen/silversmith of all is Paul Revere II (1734-1818). Following the American Revolution Revere, the entrepreneur, branched into other fields in addition to silversmithing, including bell and cannon manufacturing, printing, dentistry, and copper rolling.