1808-1810 George W. Riggs and Jacob Leonard of Washington DC Coin Silver Partial Set of Kerr Family Silver (620 grams)

$2,500.00
Offering a large set of early 1808-1810 early tablespoons, dessert spoons, and teaspoons—most marked by the Washington, D.C. silversmith George Washington Riggs and retailed by (Bentley & Wood, active 1808-10). One example is by Jacob Leonard, his successor—bearing engraved ownership marks for 'Kerr'. The related set is marked for 'Kerr' and 'AAK', potentially for Captain Archibald Kerr of Annapolis and Baltimore. Captain Archibald Kerr, a mariner and merchant, married Abigail Faris of Annapolis on January 21, 1802, a union recorded in the diary of her father, William Faris, the noted Annapolis clockmaker and silversmith. Kerr was active in regional trade, frequently traveling between Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington. By 1810, he operated a rope store in Fells Point and was involved in Baltimore’s commercial and maritime life. The silver spoons date to circa 1808–1810, a period that coincides with the early years of the Kerr marriage and the rise of Washington, D.C. as a center of political and social prestige. The high-quality craftsmanship of the Riggs shop and the personalization of the silver suggest this was a special acquisition—possibly a wedding gift or early household purchase—befitting a rising merchant family with ties to both the capital and Annapolis’s artisan community. It is very likely that all the spoons were produced before the War of 1812. Given Kerr’s means, Faris’s own background in fine metalwork, and the proximity of these cities by river, it is entirely plausible that the silver was purchased directly from Riggs' retail agents in Georgetown. The presence of a piece by Leonard, who succeeded Riggs and supplied silver to the U.S. Congress and State Department, supports the notion of an ongoing relationship with prominent D.C. makers. These spoons are not only a testament to fine Federal-era silversmithing but also a rare surviving link to the intertwined merchant, maritime, and artisan networks of early Chesapeake society. The tablespoons and dessert spoons are marked with two variants of the Riggs mark (plain oval cartouche / fitted cartouche) and the tablespoons are marked additionally with the patriotic eagle of Bentley & Wood. Some are engraved with the period script monogram initials of: 'AAK' and the teaspoons are marked: 'Kerr'. Three teaspoons are marked Riggs with one bearing the Jacob Leonard mark (1810-1825). Weight: 620 grams Size: Check out some of my other sterling silver flatware here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DCSILVERSHOP?ref=shop_sugg§ion_id=7399760 Or just browse around the shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/DCSILVERSHOP
Offering a large set of early 1808-1810 early tablespoons, dessert spoons, and teaspoons—most marked by the Washington, D.C. silversmith George Washington Riggs and retailed by (Bentley & Wood, active 1808-10). One example is by Jacob Leonard, his successor—bearing engraved ownership marks for 'Kerr'. The related set is marked for 'Kerr' and 'AAK', potentially for Captain Archibald Kerr of Annapolis and Baltimore. Captain Archibald Kerr, a mariner and merchant, married Abigail Faris of Annapolis on January 21, 1802, a union recorded in the diary of her father, William Faris, the noted Annapolis clockmaker and silversmith. Kerr was active in regional trade, frequently traveling between Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington. By 1810, he operated a rope store in Fells Point and was involved in Baltimore’s commercial and maritime life. The silver spoons date to circa 1808–1810, a period that coincides with the early years of the Kerr marriage and the rise of Washington, D.C. as a center of political and social prestige. The high-quality craftsmanship of the Riggs shop and the personalization of the silver suggest this was a special acquisition—possibly a wedding gift or early household purchase—befitting a rising merchant family with ties to both the capital and Annapolis’s artisan community. It is very likely that all the spoons were produced before the War of 1812. Given Kerr’s means, Faris’s own background in fine metalwork, and the proximity of these cities by river, it is entirely plausible that the silver was purchased directly from Riggs' retail agents in Georgetown. The presence of a piece by Leonard, who succeeded Riggs and supplied silver to the U.S. Congress and State Department, supports the notion of an ongoing relationship with prominent D.C. makers. These spoons are not only a testament to fine Federal-era silversmithing but also a rare surviving link to the intertwined merchant, maritime, and artisan networks of early Chesapeake society. The tablespoons and dessert spoons are marked with two variants of the Riggs mark (plain oval cartouche / fitted cartouche) and the tablespoons are marked additionally with the patriotic eagle of Bentley & Wood. Some are engraved with the period script monogram initials of: 'AAK' and the teaspoons are marked: 'Kerr'. Three teaspoons are marked Riggs with one bearing the Jacob Leonard mark (1810-1825). Weight: 620 grams Size: Check out some of my other sterling silver flatware here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DCSILVERSHOP?ref=shop_sugg§ion_id=7399760 Or just browse around the shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/DCSILVERSHOP