1 comments about Silver: A Practical Guide to Collecting Silverware and Identifying Hallmarks.

1. This is a great book for identifying silver marks. If you are into buying and selling silverware ,then this book is a must buy!Lots of great pictures and information on silver markings.

No comments about The Elegant Epergne from the Bunny and Charles Koppelman Collection.

1 comments about Compendium of Scottish Silver II.

1. The collaborative effort of Rodney and Janice Dietert, "Compendium Of Scottish Silver II" is a 629-page compendium comprised of more than 6000 listings of Scottish gold and silver. Embellished with 54 plates illustrating Scottish silver, a timeline of First Appearances, and a glossary of decorative arts terms, "Compendium Of Scottish Silver II" is also an invaluable aid for dealers and collectors in reading Scottish hallmarks and evaluating Scottish silver. Also available in an eBook format ($17.99), "Compendium Of Scottish Silver II" is a thoroughly 'user friendly', core addition to personal, professional, and academic library Antiques/Collectibles reference collections. Also very highly recommended as a critically important reference title by Rodney and Janice Dietert is "The Edinburgh Goldsmiths I: Training, Marks, Output and Demographics".

2 comments about Gold Coins of the Dahlonega Mint: 1838-1861, Second Edition.

1. Doug Winter's updated reference on Dahlonega gold is a superb work and a vast improvement over the previous edition. The information on strike, color, surfaces, luster, and eye appeal are complemented by interesting "personal observations" and updated information on die varieties. Of course, the condition census is a moving target but believed to be current at the time of publication.
   
   There has been some criticism of the photography. Actually, Mary Winter is a superb gold coin photographer, and I have seen color photographs of these same coins taken by her (they are available on the Heritage Auctions coin website if you search the auction archives for Green Pond Collection, FUN 2004). I believe that the publisher bungled the presentation of the images (too small and not enoguh contrast). This will undoubtedly be corrected in future editions.
   
   Overall, anyone with an interest in Dahlonega gold coins will find this to be a valuable and important reference.



2. There is much to like in this book. It is scholarly in its approach to population data condition, census data, and rarity estimates. It discusses well various die varities, and the history surrounding the mint, although brief, is informative. It is in the area of photography that this book falls dismally flat. It is, after all, a book on gold coins, and one of the major appeals of gold has historically been its color. Yet there is not one single color photograph in the book. They are all black and white, almost thumbnail in size, grainy and lacking in detail. When photos are enlarged to show some detail, a D/D for example, they fail to adequately illustrate the variety they are meant to. Compare this to some other similar books, David Lange's "Complete Guide" series for example, and you will see what a disservice these photographs do to the rest of the book. The photographer is listed as Mary Winter, who I presume is related to the author, probably his wife. While it's a noble goal to offer employment to a family member, maybe some other task should have been offered her rather than make her the photographer on what otherwise would have been a fine book. Having said that, I am still glad I have it for the information it provides, ergo the three stars, that, with better photographs, would have been five.

5 comments about Mexican Silver : 20th Century Handwrought Jewelry & Metalwork.

1. I don't know anything about the subject but I bought this book as a gift for my wife who does. She says it is one of the best references she has.



2. For some reason, I thought I was going to get more examples of the work of the major artisans in Mexico Silver but it basically is book of "Hallmarks" which can prove helpful but I really needed more since I just purchased exceptional Mexico jewelry bracelets that date from the 1920s to 1940s. The Hallmarks date from the none eagle period to the eagle period and what they use today.



3. Mexican Silver by Penny Morrill and Carole Berk is the definitive reference for anyone interested in 20th Century Mexican silver jewelry. Not only is it brimming with information on the jewelry, the background biographies of the working life of Spratling, Davis, Aguilar, Margot and many other giants of this industry are well written and a darn good read. After spending several hours reading the book I the expertise that I would have gained had I taken a 3 credit college course. There is a general price guide in the back of the book which, from my experience, accurate and reasonable. The only observation I might make is that there is not as much information on silver hollow ware and decorative pieces. For myself, my main interest is in the jewelry so I was not disappointed.
   
   The Amazon price can't be beat. Before I bought the book through Amazon I had not seen it for less than $60, its list price. I paid less than $40 on Amazon!



4. You have to admire the research that went into this sumptuous volume, also the photos. As a (very) amateur collector, this work, I'm sorry to say, doesn't pertain much to me. Still, I'm happy to have it on my shelf.



5. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Mexican Silver jewelry of the 1930's - 50's. It gives a wonderful overview of the history of this unique craft. It also provides knowledgeable information about which pieces and designers are most collectible, with high-quality photos of many of the best pieces. I started collecting Mexican Silver jewelry 10 years ago out of sentiment, because my mother and grandmother used to wear it. Learning the history of this type of jewelry has made me even more fond of the genre, and has given me the knowledge to collect more valuable pieces.

No comments about Magnificent Tiffany Silver.

No comments about Silver Curios in the Home (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

No comments about An Introduction to British Pewter.

1 comments about Paktong: The Chinese Alloy in Europe 1680 - 1820.

1. Keith Pinn, author of Paktong: The Chinese Alloy in Europe 1680-1820, inherited a collection of Paktong from his father to which he has added pieces and done extensive research resulting in this book. Paktong, a rare Chinese alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel, was imported during the 18th century and used by European craftsman to make wares in imitation of silver. It was not until around 1820 that sucessful attempts to copy Paktong resulted in what is now known as German silver. This book analyzes the Pinn Collection to identify and understand objects made from Paktong and how these differ and can be recognized from those made of German silver.

No comments about Tiffany Silver.