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Presented is a fantastic American colonial coin silver beaker or cup, by Boston silversmith Benjamin Burt. This piece dates to around 1760-1775. The beaker is done in a simple, clean style, with a very slight flare to the rim and an equally slight taper down to the flat base. The cup is well made and attractive, with the marks of hand hammering visible in the finish. The side has a monogram of WAJ in elegant script, as well as a monogram of WJ on the underside. This is a rare and highly desirable piece by a widely known and renowned maker, and this represents a great opportunity for any collector of colonial American silver.

This piece is in great overall condition, especially considering its age and rarity. There are some minor surface abrasions, as the piece has not been machine polished. There is are a few tiny dings near the base. The base looks like it has been resoldered, but the monogram on the base matches the monogram on the side of the cup, so the base is clearly original. There are no splits, no leaks, no major dents, no monogram removals, and no repairs.

The underside of the cup is stamped with the maker's mark for Benjamin Burt, partially worn. The mark matches the mark for Benjamin Burt photographed in Patricia E. Kane's Colonial Massachusetts Silversmiths and Jewelers: A Biographical Dictionary Based on the Notes of Francis Hill Bigelow and John Marshall Phillips. Benjamin Burt's father, also a well known silversmith, also has examples of his maker's mark listed in the same book, and the mark on the cup does not match these, so we feel quite sure this is Benjamin Burt's work.

The cup stands about 3 1/4 inches tall.

The cup weighs 99.5 grams or 3.5 regular ounces.

-jm