DL Trade Silver
Reference Materials
A collection of book reviews, web links & other stuff
My Uncle's Work
These PDF’s reference Check Leonard’s work from the 1970’s through 2005. They will open in a new tab.
You will notice that my work differs from my uncle’s. His focus was on reproductions where only his maker’s mark differed, while my work is more like one silversmith copying from another and then making a similar piece, which was a very common practice in the 18th century.
Another big difference is that my uncle’s work was perfectly finished, more like a Bateman (of London) gorget. My work is more casually engraved & finished, more like trade pieces made by Cruickshank or Kinzie. And if you are familiar with those names & their work, then welcome to the ranks of the Trade Silver Geeks. 🤣
Web Links
Here are a few Trade Silver sites to get you started:
National Museum of the American Indian
Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia
Encyclopedia Dubuque Trade Silver
Almost every historical museum in the US and Canada has at least a few pieces of trade silver. You usually can't find them with a web search. Most often you will have to go to the museum's site & search their collection, and most of those can be very tricky to use. Hint: Seach for "silver" then look for filters.
I'm sure you can do your own web searches for more info. Pinterest has a lot of pictures, but little to no information about the picture you may be looking at.
The Covenant Chain
First published in 1980 by the National Museums of Canada. This book has a well written history of Trade Silver, and many high-quality photos of silverwork & 18th century artworks. Reasonably priced new & used copies are generally available. If you are going to buy a book on Trade Silver, this is the one I recommend.
Metallic Ornaments of the New York Indians, William M. Beauchamp
First published in 1903, this is a very scholarly work. Contains a lot of good information but can get a bit dry and technical in the wording. The most valuable part of the book is the last third which contains hundreds of illustrations 18th century Trade Silver and many earlier native-made metal (mostly copper) ornaments. I am pretty sure that this book is in the public domain.
Three Volume Series by William H. Carter
Published in 1971, 1971, and 1973 respectively, they are difficult to find and pricey if you can find them. They were out of print sometime before 1988, more on that later. The fact that the first 2 titles are almost identical, while the 3rd is completely different, might be a glimpse into the mind of Mr. Carter. As a prolific private collector of Trade Silver he built up a great deal of knowledge along the way. These volumes are more of a knowledge-dump than they are an organized presentation of that knowledge. He was not a scholar.
In addition to the textual information, there are many-hundred sketches, illustrations, photos, diagrams, and makers marks. However, there is no index in any of the volumes. Leaving the researcher with a valuable and frustrating experience.
I have very mixed feelings regarding these books, and a rather low opinion of Mr. Carters zeal for collecting. These books prove the author was a grave robber beyond any shadow of a doubt. I'm sure this is why they went out of print.
North American Indian Trade Silver by William H. Carter
Published in 1988, and now out of print. This book is complete hack of the previous 3 volumes - all evidence of grave robbing has been removed, probably by the publisher more so than the author. No rewrite or reorganization, just deletions. There is some additional material, but even that is plagiarized and just added to the end.
Don't waste your time with this. Skip to the next edition below.
North American Indian Trade Silver by W. H. Carter, revised and edited by Lar Hothem
First published in 1996, this may still be in print. If not, it is easy to find new & used copies at reasonable prices. The editor removed the plagiarized sections from the version above and made some attempt to reorganize it into a little more logical progression. There still remains some evidence of the previous version's hack when one section just ends in the middle of a sentence and a completely different thought begins on the following page.
Even with these flaws it is still a very good refence that is easy to obtain.
Trade Silver Marks in the Americas 1682-1855, by Steve Cox
Published in 2017, and as of 2023 there were no used copies to be found. New hardcover (only) editions start at $100 with most sellers asking more than that. So, this is an expensive book that I have found to be useful, but I am also a bit disappointed in it. Written by a collector, who obviously has some research training, this book should have value to collectors and current makers like me.
On the plus side, this is the most complete reference of Trade Silver makers marks in existence. It has a well written forward, a section of high-resolution color photos, photos with the main listing of marks, a useful glossary, and index just to name a few.
The book is not without flaws. For example, the index lists that Alexander Munro can be found on page 75 which is true, but does not include references to page 11 and the cover where Munro marks are featured prominently. The unknown JH&NP mark on page 64, is unfortunately not included in the appendix of "Marks and Makers Needed". I am hopeful that new editions will fix these minor mistakes and also fill in some of the missing marks & makers. Additionally, foot or end notes that point to the primary sources for each maker would then make this book worth every penny.
Other Books on Trade Silver
Silver in the Fur Trade 1680-1820, by Martha Hamilton.
Published in 1995. I have heard very good things about this book, and yet it remains a glaring hole in my book collection. I need to get a copy of this one soon. Do you have one to sell?
Indian Trade Relics Identification and Values, by Lar Hothem
Only some of the information will be about Silver, and the 2003 values will be out of date. I have not seen a copy of this book.
The New Four Winds Guide to American Indian Artifacts, from Schiffer Books
May (or may not) have some information regarding Trade Silver, but any 2006 values it has will be out of date. I have not seen a copy of this book.
The Wisconsin Archeologist, volume 34, 1953
I've heard this is a great reference, but I've never seen it. Very rare. Got one?
More to come...