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American Coin Silver Sugar Tongs - Charleston, South Carolina - Jamaican Silver Marks
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Reference: S1504
Period: George IV
Year: Circa 1823-1852
Silversmith: John Ewan
Place: Charleston, South Carolina
Price: $ 220.00
Weight: 50 grams
Dimensions: 15.2 cm
Condition: Excellent, bow also in perfect condition.
Description: A rare pair of American Coin silver Fiddle pattern sugar tongs, made by John Ewan of Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1830. The tongs are plain, with no engraving, and have traditionally shaped rounded bowls. The tongs have very clear hallmarks on both arms, makers mark "J Ewan" in serrated rectangle, and pseudo English crowned leopards head and lion passant (both very quaint!). John Ewan lived between 1786 and 1852, he is believed to have produced silver between 1823 and 1852 (Ensko, American Silversmiths and their Marks, pg 294). Of interest is that these hallmarks are depicted in Wyler (The Book of Old Silver), where he incorrectly describes them as Jamaican (pg 207). Coin silver is the term used to describe silver produced in America from early Colonial times until just after the Civil war, when the Sterling standard was adopted. As the name describes, the source was European silver coins, which were melted down. Note - These hallmarks are depicted in a very interesting article entitled "Re-Visiting Jamaican Silver Marks" by Catherine Hollan, Silver Magazine September 2025, pages 12-17, where this exact hallmark is depicted as Figure 1. Hollan confirms that Ewan had no Jamaican association, and that the original Ewan Jamaican myth started with Charles Jackson in 1921 with his book English Goldsmiths and their marks, and Louise Avery of the Metropolitan Museum hypothesizing that Ewan was a London trained silversmith who came to Charleston via Jamaica in 1930. This error was repeated by Wyler and Tardy (page 294). Jackson observed a pair of Ewan tongs in a Jamaican collection, which started the confusion. The article shows genuine Jamaican marks, look out for Alligator head, Assay masterd AD, CW & IS, and makers WD & HL.
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Coin Silver Sugar Tongs - Charleston, South Carolina
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Coin Silver Sugar Tongs - Charleston
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South Carolina Coin silver tongs
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J Ewan Charleston hallmarks
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J Ewan coin silver marks
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Scale
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