MARK OF BENJAMIN HALSTED & MYER MYERS, NEW YORK, CIRCA 1760

The partnership of Myer Myers and Benjamin Halsted circa 1756 was revolutionary in a time when silversmiths in New York largely worked through tight networks determined by family, religion, or ethnicity. Though the expenses and labor associated with silversmithing often necessitated the sharing of tools and skills, and some silversmiths did establish more recognized partnership, the level of formal partnership of Halsted and Myers had not been seen in the colonies prior to this time. Even more unique was their creation of the joint “H&M” mark to identify wares made under this partnership utilizing both of their initials. Prior to this, though some informal partnerships had been created between silversmiths in Boston, both makers would put their individual marks together on the same object. Though this joint mark would become typical of partnerships in the 19th century, this represented one of its first uses anywhere in the American colonies. For more on the partnership of Myer Myers and Benjamin Halsted, see D. Barquist, Myer Myers: Jewish Silversmith in Colonial New York, New Haven, 2001, pp. 33-35.