A mid-18th century American colonial silver side handled porringer, Kingston, Rhode Island circa 1750 by Samuel Casey (active c.1745-70)

A mid-18^th century American colonial silver side handled porringer, Kingston, Rhode Island circa 1750 by Samuel Casey (active c.1745-70)

Of rounded circular form, domed centre upon a collet foot, the side handle of shaped scroll form with pierced decoration of shaped form. Engraved to the handle with contemporaneous initials H over T * E. Marked to the reverse of handle S:CASEY.

Length – 19.5 cm / 7.7 inches

Weight – 238 grams / 7.65 ozt

Another porringer by Casey, with the same form of handle was sold Bonham’s Skinner, Massachusetts 19 November 2024, lot 187 ($1920 incl. prem)

Another the same, sold Sotheby’s New York, 21 April 2023, lot 861 ($2794 incl. prem)

Another, the same, sold Bonham’s Skinner, Massachusetts, 5 April 2023, lot 122 ($1912.50 incl. prem)

Samuel Casey (c.1724-after 1779), the son of Samuel Casey and Dorcus Ellis, probably born in Newport, Rhode Island. He served his apprenticeship with Jacob Hurd, admitted a freeman in 1745. Moved to South Kingston in 1750 and married Martha Martin in 1753. A fire in 1764 destroyed this shop, by 1770 he had become insolvent. These financial struggles seem to have led him to produce counterfeit coins, for which he was sentenced to death by hanging. Ultimately this did not take place, but lived in exile, when in 1779 he was granted pardon, but it is unknown if he returned to his home and family or not.