The tankards made by Samuel Vernon’s workshop feature a heartshaped mark with a “SV” in the center. Although the mark of the silversmith may be on the piece, we don’t actually know all the craftspeople whose hands helped shape these pieces. Silversmiths and goldsmiths had highly skilled apprentices and enslaved persons working in their shops. And it’s important to acknowledge that many master Newport craftspeople had enslaved persons in their household—and the uncredited labor of these enslaved people contributed to the success of the workshops and the material goods they produced.
“LRP” is engraved on the handle and the scratchweight 29 ounces is marked on body and handle. Stamped with “SV” maker’s mark on body and handle.
