Subject: Coin Silver

Set of six coin silver teaspoons, circa 1855, manufactured by Braverman & Levy in San Francisco, California. Each spoon measures 5 7/8" long x 1 1/4" wide and features an "MNG" monogram. The spoons are marked on the back of the handle with the maker's mark, Braverman & Levy, and a likely hallmark indicating their manufacture. An advertisement for Braverman & Levy appeared in the December 17, 1854 edition of the *Daily Alta California*, describing them as "Watchmakers and Manufacturing Jewelers." The simple design of the spoons suggests a date in the 1850s. Coin silver was a common material in American silver manufacturing until 1868 when the Comstock Lode was discovered in Nevada, leading to the increased use of sterling silver by 1870.