Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks
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In the early years, a number of different silversmiths supplied Tiffany with silver holloware & flatware and marked the pieces with their own marks as well as the Tiffany marks. The examples illustrated here include only John C. Moore's mark, some others were: William Gale, John Polhemus, Henry Hebbard, William Bogert, Grosjean & Woodward, Gale & Hughes, Wood & Hughes, and Moore & Hebbard. After the Moore silversmithing firm was absorbed into Tiffany & Co. (1868) and Tiffany began the production of its own silverware, it became the tradition to mark each piece with the initial of the Artistic Director or President of the firm. This practice continued until the mid-1960's. The firm expanded to larger quarters at 271 Broadway in 1847, the move enabled a significant increase in the retailing of silver and jewelry. It is here that American made silver finally took its place alongside the Tiffany name. The goods were made mostly by New York City silversmiths and often bore their maker's marks, as well as the Tiffany retailer's mark. 1851 was an important year in the history of American silver, Tiffany, Young & Ellis, seeking to give their silver goods distinction, became the first American firm to introduce the use of the English Sterling (.925) standard in American made silver. Deciding that they wanted more control, they contracted with the firm of John C. Moore, one the finest American holloware silversmithies, to produce exclusively for Tiffany's. Both Young & Ellis retired in 1853, giving Charles Tiffany control of the firm, again he moved it to larger quarters at 550 Broadway and the name was changed to that which we know today, Tiffany & Company. Over the next two decades, Tiffany worked closely with J. C. Moore and, increasingly with his son, Edward Chandler Moore, who had fully taken the reins of Moore concern in the 1860's. Together, the artist Moore and the businessman Tiffany, created many landmark pieces of American silver and spread the fame of Tiffany & Company silverware. In 1867, at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, Tiffany's became the first American firm to win an award for excellence in silver. Charles L. Tiffany made a landmark decision in 1868, he reached an agreement with Edward C. Moore and purchased the Moore firm. At this juncture, Tiffany & Company became a silver manufacturer as well as a silver retailer. For his part, Edward Moore became a Tiffany stockholder and the general manager of the silverware end of the business. His first important step was to expand production to include flatware manufacturing. In 1869 "Tiffany", the company's first flatware pattern, premiered and the firm moved to new and larger quarters on Union Square. Moore was a cultured man, an avid world traveler and collector of art and objects of the Near & Far East. As the Aesthetic Movement style became fashionable, his innovative nature and knowledge of Eastern art combined with his superlative design skills to bring Tiffany's to the forefront of American silver manufacturers. Many of the finest Japanesque and Moorish Revival objects ever created, including major presentation pieces, were made by Tiffany & Company at this time. By the time of Edward Moore's death in 1891, Tiffany & Co. had won major awards at successive European and American Expositions and had become the most internationally respected American silver manufacturer. The founder, Charles L. Tiffany passed on in 1902, leaving a legacy based on sound business judgement and goods of exceptional quality. Tiffany & Company moved to its present quarters at 5th Avenue & 57th Street in 1940 and remained in the hands of the Tiffany & Moore families until 1955. |
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 Tiffany & Company's use of Pattern Numbers allows us to date when a design was first put into production. As many popular designs were produced for many years, they only provide a guide to the earliest date a piece could have been produced. However, using them in conjunction with the information provided by the maker's mark can often give a fairly accurate circa date. Order numbers are, for all intents and purposes, not useful to us. They were used "in house" to keep track of production. Without access to the Tiffany archives, they have no real meaning. |
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