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Colonial shoe buckle hallmark ID please!

cellrdwellr

Elite Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2014
Messages
19,221
Location
Dirt Cellar, MA
I've looked pretty extensively at English and American hallmarks, and cant seem to find this one. Thanks for any help!
 

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WOW! They dont call him Capt Silver for nothing! Great fast ID and wonderful find! Talk about Early American hallmarked Silver! Thats about as early as a guy can get!

Lets hear some more about this Benjamin Hurd Silversmith! The damn guy was right in the thick of things! I wonder who his client for this buckle was? Geo Washington? Hell..he might of even trained Paul Revere! Certainly knew him...

Died young..I wonder from what? You really have something there CD! Shudders to think about you are the first person to hold that Historic Americana item in a long time..How'd the guy lose a shoe I wonder? This kind of find is what dreams are made of...
 
WOW! They dont call him Capt Silver for nothing! Great fast ID and wonderful find! Talk about Early American hallmarked Silver! Thats about as early as a guy can get!

Lets hear some more about this Benjamin Hurd Silversmith! The damn guy was right in the thick of things! I wonder who his client for this buckle was? Geo Washington? Hell..he might of even trained Paul Revere! Certainly knew him...

Died young..I wonder from what? You really have something there CD! Shudders to think about you are the first person to hold that Historic Americana item in a long time..How'd the guy lose a shoe I wonder? This kind of find is what dreams are made of...

I agree mud, and thanks for your reply. This buckle belonged to someone important probably. I'm seeing Paul revere and Benjamin Franklin being mentioned in alot of the same sentences. I've contacted a few sources that have expertise in colonial artifacts. Hopefully will get a reply by tomorrow. I've found some info on there father Jacob and the oldest brother Nathanial, but little on Benjamin. Hoping to have some more info soon! How awesome would it be if I could track who this buckle belonged too? Its a long shot, but bet your buzzum im gunna try!
 
Wow, keep us posted. I took a look at your album of the full thing. Nice find! That is pretty amazing.
 
a little info about Benjamin Hurd
It seems that his pieces are really scarce, most of his hallmarks are on spoons!

Like his brother Nathaniel, he followed their father's craft, but was not of age when his father died. He was an engraver as well as a goldsmith. A teapot and baptismal basins in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, are among the few pieces, mostly spoons, known today. The basin in Halifax perhaps explains his presence there; his return on August 7, 1769 was noted in the Boston Records, vol. 29, p. 317. Hurd died, apparently intestate, on June 2, 1781 and is buried in the Granary Burial Ground in Boston not far from his brother-in-law, Daniel Henchman. The inventory of his shop tools included "1 Large Spoon Teast / 1 Large Spoon punch / 1 ditto ditto / 1 Child's spoon punch / 4 Tea spoon punch / 1 spoon swage or stake." His "Shop Tools & Furniture" were appraised by Benjamin Burt and Zachariah Brigden; Thomas Clarke and John Hurd were appraisers of the "House Furniture". 10
 
That mark seems to be from Benjamin Hurd, a silversmith in Boston MA between 1761 and 1769...

Wow! That’s awesome! Congrats again!

WOW! They dont call him Capt Silver for nothing! Great fast ID and wonderful find! Talk about Early American hallmarked Silver! Thats about as early as a guy can get!

Lets hear some more about this Benjamin Hurd Silversmith! The damn guy was right in the thick of things! I wonder who his client for this buckle was? Geo Washington? Hell..he might of even trained Paul Revere! Certainly knew him...

Died young..I wonder from what? You really have something there CD! Shudders to think about you are the first person to hold that Historic Americana item in a long time..How'd the guy lose a shoe I wonder? This kind of find is what dreams are made of...

Fantastic! Amazing find and info.

Wow, keep us posted. I took a look at your album of the full thing. Nice find! That is pretty amazing.

a little info about Benjamin Hurd
It seems that his pieces are really scarce, most of his hallmarks are on spoons!

Like his brother Nathaniel, he followed their father's craft, but was not of age when his father died. He was an engraver as well as a goldsmith. A teapot and baptismal basins in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, are among the few pieces, mostly spoons, known today. The basin in Halifax perhaps explains his presence there; his return on August 7, 1769 was noted in the Boston Records, vol. 29, p. 317. Hurd died, apparently intestate, on June 2, 1781 and is buried in the Granary Burial Ground in Boston not far from his brother-in-law, Daniel Henchman. The inventory of his shop tools included "1 Large Spoon Teast / 1 Large Spoon punch / 1 ditto ditto / 1 Child's spoon punch / 4 Tea spoon punch / 1 spoon swage or stake." His "Shop Tools & Furniture" were appraised by Benjamin Burt and Zachariah Brigden; Thomas Clarke and John Hurd were appraisers of the "House Furniture". 10

Digging up and reading history of the people behind the items we find is fascinating.

Thanks for posting about Benjamin Hurd.

I just found this article on the net, some really good info in there, for anyone interested!
https://www.silversmithing.com/new99su.htm
 
:cheers:
It seems that you have a nearly unique piece of American silver! Benjamin's work is scarce and in a time critical to our history. We're talking the Boston Massacre here! Congrats on an amazing find!
 
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