Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-10
SILVER AND EARLY CURRENCY

highly forid .ornamentation; but it
 may be safely stated that American si!versmiths produced wares that for beauty of shape, sense of proportion, an5 purity of line were not surpassed l Tn England: and. if occasion demand cd, eIaborate ornamentation in most decorative designs was within the
 grasp of American workmen.
 Working in silver was a most respect able craft, and many of the men who followed the trade were of excellent social standing, particularly in Be- | ton. MT. Curtis declares that one can we'll say without. contradiction that tine best silver work in this country was done in that city.
 The earliest American sitversmiths of whom record has been found were Capt. John Hull cofner of the Pine Tree shilling, mint ma st of Massa : chusetts and merchant prince, and his partner, Robert Sanderson, both of | Boston, and working in the middle of | the seventeenth century. ! They were succeeded by HAsn who were also past st-masters of the craft, such as David Jesse. who is thought 1 to have been born-in Hartford; Jere- ! riiah DumWer; John Coney; John i Eixwell. son of the regicide of that i name who resided in New Haven for SC many years; the Edwardses; Ed i ward Winslow: William Cowell; the ! three Burts, the Hurds and last but far from least, Paul Revere, father l ard son, the latter the hero of Long l fellows famous poem.
 These men were craftsmen o4, the ! greatest skill, the many examples 1 Of their work extant show. indica tins 1 that they upheld the standards and l traditions of their trade. in a manner l worthy of the. highest praise. -..
 ! The work of a number of the Bos- | ton men is to be found in Connecti- cut today, particularly in the old l churches. In fact, considerable part state was made by Boston silver smiths. 11 I Jeremiah Drummer (1e45- 171sy is represented by thirteen silver vessels 1 in Connecticut churches, one more l than John DfxweIl has to his credit although the latter was born in New I Haven, and must have known many Tcen in the Colony. I But Drummer is Of interest to Con- necticut people in another way. When i the government of Connecticut de- cided in 1IOe. to issue paper esp rency; I C. Bills of Exchange, the agents of | the Colony apparently selected him to to the mechanical part of the work; | tiiat is, the engraving of: the plates and the printing of the bills.
 jornais of the Council for, 171o show | l this currency; and in 1712, Governor
 ssaltonstaH laid before the Council Board the bill of Jeremiah Drummer for printing 6 $50 sheets of this paper ! currency.
 1 The inference seems clear, Mr. Cur | tis points out that Drummer not only ] printed, but engraved. the. first paper lcurrency of Connecticut. His one
 time apprentice. John Co11ey had the distinction of engraving the plates fol 1 tie first paper money issued by Mas i sachusettS some years earlier, the first i issued on this continent. l Part of the trade of an early silver l s,nith was to\ennrave on the meta ! coats of arms. recommendations Of the 1 initials of the owners; of course the l tra nsition to engraving on copper was i easy. Several of the early engravers 1 did their first work on. silver, Pau 1 Revere and Connectictit's own Amos Loolttle, among the number. .- .s
 l THE DICTAGRAPH.