G. W. Marquardt spoons

[AllSeasons]

I just purchased some coin silver spoons marked "G. W. Marquardt" and "COIN". I was looking up the maker, but couldn't really find too much on him, until I found a post on Geneology.com. Hopefully the moderators will be okay with me posting this link here:

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surname ... uardt/486/

If you scroll down, you'll see what one poster said:

I just came across your post. G.W. Marquardt was my great great grandfather. The GW actually stands for George William not Washington as you assumed above. He was born in Germany in 1832 and immigrated to the US when he was 20 in 1852. He settled in Iowa City and owned a jewelry store where he also made some silverware. He later moved on to Des Moines where he was a banker, and philanthropist.

If you still have those spoons I would be interested in purchasing them. In terms of value, they're worth their weight in silver. He wasn't famous or anything for his silver.

Is this the silversmith? The timeframe lines up, as this coin silver spoon would've been made before 1860.

Anyway, here're the images. My apologies that these are not the sharpest, as I still have yet to receive them. Thank you in advance.

[silverly]

Is this the silversmith? The timeframe lines up, as this coin silver spoon would've been made before 1860.

I think the best you will be able to do to confirm this is the correct maker is a mark comparison when you are able. Maybe there's a museum in Iowa City that would have an example of his work. If the spoons were my own, I would keep looking for any other possibilities, but at the same time I'd be fairly well satisfied that the source is Iowa City. Hopefully, you will hear more about these spoons from someone that has had some experience with G W Marquardt silver.

[wev]

As stated, George Wilhelm Marquardt was a retail jeweler in Iowa City and is so listed in census records and retail directories. There is little likelihood that he manufactured any goods, though he may have modified items to order in a small way. The spoons shown would have been purchased as marked from a wholesale manufacturer. This was the common practice of the day.

He is listed in Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/272 ... -marquardt

[silverly]

G W Marquardt was a retailer & wholesaler and may have done some sort of manufacturing, but did notice a mark in the image on the back of the spoons that made me think he could have retailed these spoons.