DL Trade Silver
About
Shipping:
Buyer pays actual USPS shipping charges, no mark up. I have not yet shipped outside of the US - we will have to work that out together.
About My Work:
My work is exclusively made from Sterling Silver, though I will do brass on request. My pieces are 100% handmade, no power tools are used. I strive to use 18th century techniques. But I’m not perfect: since I can’t put a coal-forge in my basement, I use a modern torch; and of course, colonial smiths didn’t have the electric light that helps my old eyes. As far as the title of Silversmith is concerned, I don’t think I’m quite there yet. If I ever “raise up” the beaker cup & porringer that I have been planning, then maybe I will have earned the title.
My Reproductions:
Like 18th century makers, I look at examples from other makers, then make a similar, but not an exact copy piece. Some of those may be very close to the originals, but they will have my touch marks on them. I will never mimic another maker's mark or make an exact reproduction since it would then be too easy to sell as an “original”. I have seen fake trade silver on eBay where the scammers are asking hundreds and even thousands of dollars. There are enough fakes on the antiquities markets, and I will have no part in that.
My Originals:
During the colonial era, Silversmiths freely copied each other’s work, and made pieces that were unique to themselves. When I create a new design, my hope is that no one can tell if it is a new design, or a copy of something they have not seen before.
My Hallmarks:
About Sterling Silver:
The first legal definition of sterling silver appeared in 1275, when a statute of King Edward specified the ratio of silver to copper. It was very close to 92.6% (.926) silver with 7.4% other alloy. Copper was the typical choice for this other alloy because of the strength and resistance to wear that it added. In Colonial America, sterling silver was used for currency and general goods as well. Between 1634 and 1776, some 500 silversmiths created items in the "New World" ranging from simple buckles to ornate Rococo coffee pots. Although silversmiths of this era were typically familiar with all precious metals, they primarily worked in sterling silver. The colonies lacked an assay office during this time (the first would be established in 1814), so American silversmiths adhered to the standard set by the London Goldsmiths Company: sterling silver consisted of 91.5–92.5% by weight silver and 8.5–7.5 wt% copper. Stamping each of their pieces with their personal maker's mark, colonial silversmiths relied upon their own status to guarantee the quality and composition of their products. Today, Sterling is set at 92.5% silver (.925) and 7.5% copper.
In 1537, Spain's king Charles the 1st set exacting standards for Spanish silver and gold coins. The Spanish eight reales coin was set at a weight of 423.9 grains (27.47 grams) of .9305 (93.05%) silver - a slightly higher percentage of silver than Britain's Sterling standard. When the US started minting their own silver coins after 1794, a coin silver standard was established of 90% silver, 10% copper. Silversmiths that would use US coins (or coins of uncertain quality) would then stamp their products as "COIN" rather than Sterling.
About .999 Fine Silver:
.999 Fine Silver is mostly for bullion & precious metals investment. Sure, some jewelry is made from it, but it generally too soft and esily damaged.
Just A Little About Coin Silver:
Native Use:
There are plenty of old paintings, drawings, and even photographs of native peoples wearing silver ornaments, so I will not go into descriptions. Here are few points that you may find interesting: - Indians wore trade silver in unexpected ways, so any cross or pendant could be considered a period correct earring. - They liked large pieces. Five+ inch brooches, four+ inch ear-wheels, a well-documented six inch beaver, and large crosses tell us that bigger was better. These days people don’t want items that large (and they can quickly get very expensive). My pieces generally range from 1 to 3 inches, but most can be custom made to other sizes. - It gave some men another path to achieve a higher status within the tribe. A good trapper/hunter could amass an impressive collection of silver for himself and his family.
German Silver = Nickle Silver = NO Silver = Junk Metal:
Why do I have such a low opinion regarding this alloy? Well, because it CONTAINS NO TRUE SILVER! This is probably a little more than you want to know but, German silver (aka Nickle silver) is a term for various Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), and Nickel (Ni) alloys, often containing a little Lead (Pb) and Tin (Sn). But German silver contains NO actual Silver (Ag). This alloy was first used in China, where it was smelted from readily available unprocessed ore. (Meaning no one knew the chemical makeup, it was just dumb luck that the raw ore looked similar to silver after it was smelted.) During the Qing dynasty, despite a government ban on its export, it was smuggled out to various parts of the East Indies and the Dutch could then bring it to Europe, where it was at first called paktong. The earliest European mention of paktong occurs in the year 1597. German artificial recreations of the natural paktong ore composition, began to appear from about 1750 onward, but visibly they were not quite “silver”. In 1823, a German competition was held to perfect the production process so that it was visually indistinguishable from Sterling Silver. Prior to this it was easy to spot the ”fake” silver.
Why You Should Never Use German Silver:
How I Got Started:
I need to give my uncle Chuck Leonard credit for exposing me to the world of living history in general and Trade Silver in particular. His reputation often precedes me. He was one of the leading authorities/artisans making Trade Silver in the 1980's up until his passing in 2005. In 2008 I attended my first Rendezvous and the following year my first Living History show, where I was immediately enamored with the work of Silversmiths Mark Burleigh and Mitch Lige. For a few years after that I collected works from various Silversmiths, and bought my uncle's work whenever I found it on the secondary market. In 2015 I hammered down some old "junk cions" to make my first crude brooches. Now, rather than destroying old coins, I buy my silver as sheet or wire stock. In my shop I strive to continue the tradition and use 18th century methods to make all my pieces completely by hand - No power tools!
Clarification: if you are reproducing guns, tomahawks, or any other items made before 1823 then you should not use German Silver. Simply because it did not exist before 1823. It was not used for US coins until 1866, and it is doubtful that it was used for anyting in the US before about 1850. I have heard some people argue that “Paktong was available and that was essentially the same thing.” Well, no. Not unless you are making a gun for a king. No one understood what that alloy was, and it was thought of as some form of silver that miraculously didn’t tarnish. That misunderstanding combined with the fact that it was very rare in Europe, sent the price for paktong higher than the price for gold.
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