Little Creamer The Middletown Plate Co.

Catalog number 733.

I like this little fellow. The curvy shape appeals to me. It would have been a part of an individual serving set. It was made by the Middletown Plate Co. and has their earlier mark. I think Middletown is an under collected name in silverplate. Meriden Britannia Co. is supposed to be such fine work, but Middletown is just as old and I think quite nice.  Lets look at some fun facts:

Middletown Plate Co. 
(Do not confuse with the Middletown Silver Plate Co.)

Place:

     Middletown Connecticut 

Year:
     1864-1899-merger with ISC-

Founders:
     Edward Payne
     Henry Bullard

Made:
     holloware
     flatware

Mergers:
     1866 incorporated
     1899 Joined International Silver Co.

Notes:
     Sold Wares to the Wm. Rogers co. that plated and sold the material with their own mark.
     This means identical pieces can be found with different stamps

Dragon Pitcher, Simpson Hall and Miller, Pride of the Collection

 

This silverplate pitcher is part of the pride of the collection. It has an inside spout shield, incised decorations and the figure of a dragon on top. The dragon is not quite the Welsh dragon but is close enough as far as Victorian silverplate goes for my taste. If it is not a dragon it might be described as a sphinx though it is defiantly not an Egyptian sphinx.  Its tail is a swirly scaled affair almost like a sea monster but there is no other sign of sea life on the pitcher so I think this can be dismissed. The scroll work on the side and the shape of the handle add a Persian influence, perhaps Assyrian. Look at the handle, the scroll work, shape and proportion recall the ancient world.  I have not yet found this piece in a catalogue but I hope to soon.  

It is from Simpson, Hall and Miller, also known as Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co.  from Wallingford Connecticut. They were founded in 1866.  By 1895 they were manufacturing sterling. They also had the contract to manufacture the Eagle Wm rogers Star Brand flatware. In 1898 they were a founding member of the International Silver Company. When they joined international, they focused mainly on sterling becoming the center of the International Silver Companies sterling production. This means their mark was used well beyond 1898 for sterling ware. Silver plate was left to to other companies, Derby, Wilcox, Meriden Britannia Company.

Above we see some of the marks used by Simpson, Hall, Miller and Co. This is not exhaustive of the marks that they used. The pitcher uses a mark of the name Simpson, Hall, Miller and Co. above a rectangle that reads quadruple plate with Wallingford Connecticut below. Another common mark are the initials seen above S H M &Co. and for sterling the S in a shield with a helmet.

Butter Dish, Rogers Smith & Company

Looked at this pretty nice butter dish this weekend. It was a bit out of my price range. Still, it is a good idea to study pieces even if they are out of your price range. The first good reason is if you win the lottery you will be prepared for the pieces you want. Second, it helps your silver education. This piece was at an antique mall I had not been to for a couple of years. I was surprised at the amount of silver they had available. Some of it quite good. Most of it quite pricey. They had a very nice goat dish that I got a picture of. I hope to post that soon. It was pretty nice for a small serving piece. This butter dish seemed to be in pretty good condition. It had some plate missing but it was in places where it would be expected. I did not get the chance to look inside so I do not know the full condition.  Being locked in a case I did not want to bother the owners to get it out for me.

This piece was made by the Rogers Smith & Co.  It is marked West Meriden.

This firm was organized in 1857 and consolidated with the Rogers Brothers Manufacturing Co. in 1861.

The flatware division of Rogers Brother Mfg. Co. was sold to Meriden Britannia Co..

In 1862 Edward Mitchell bought out the holloware division of Rogers Brothers Mfg. Co..
He formed the Rogers Smith & Co. of New Haven.

In 1863 Meriden Britannia Company bought this out and continued using the factory in New Haven.

The works of the factory were moved to Meriden in 1865 and consolidated in 1866.

In 1877 the mark and works were fully incorporated into Meriden Britannia Company.   

According to Rainwater (2004) a piece marked "West Meriden" would have been made between 1877 and the early 1880's.