A rare pair of mid-18^th century American Colonial silver salts, Philadelphia circa 1742 by Elias Boudinot (1706 – 1770)

Each of compressed circular form with moulded rims, all raised upon three pad feet with moulded junctions. Each engraved underneath with contemporaneous initials O over G * A in Roman script. Each marked with maker’s mark EB twice. (2)

Diameter – 6.9 cm / 2.75 inches

Weight – 156 grams / 5.02 ozt

The initials are for George O'Kill (b.c. 1715) of Philadelphia, who married Anne Clarke (b.c. 1715-1777) in 1742. Their daughter, Jane O'Kill, married the Rev. John Stuart (1740-1811) in 1775, fleeing to Canada during the Revolution. Their son Sir James Stuart, baronet (1780-1853) serving as Chief Justice of Lower Canada (1841-1853), a member of the Legislative Assembly, Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench, and helping to frame the Act of Union of 1840. Stuart died without heirs and the baronetcy became extinct.

A tankard engraved with these initials in mirror cypher by this maker was sold Christie’s New York, 21-25 January, lot 79 ($68,500 incl. prem)

Elias Boudinot was born on the 3^rd Aug 1706 and died on the 4^th Jul 1770. He was apprenticed from 1721 to 1728 to Simeon Soumain in New York City. He worked from 1729 to 1737 as a silversmith in Antigua West Indies where he then set up from circa 1738 to 1752 as a silversmith in Philadelphia. He advertised in the The Pennsylvania Gazette on the 10^th Sep 1747, announcing that "Elias Buddinot, silversmith, is removed from the house next door to the Post-office, in Market-street." He worked from 1753 to 1762 as a silversmith in Princeton New Jersey and then from 1762 to 1770 in Elizabethtown New Jersey.