Show Early American Silversmiths Served Their Country or Their Communities Many early American sliver silver silversmiths smiths it Is well known took prom prominent Inept parts In n the public affairs of ol their times Umes and served nerved their coun country country try or their communities ably and ond well writes Stephen Decatur In tho the American Collector In this connection tion of course the name of ol Col Paul Revere of Boston comes first to mind Although New York cannot boast boost of having produced u a silversmith of corresponding fame nevertheless In Inthe inthe the person of Ephraim Brasher Drasher It possessed a member of the craft who was able at a critical time to render services to tel his fellow tellow citi citizens zens zeus which If not spectacular were of almost inestimable value With the Ule close of the Revolution Revolution- Revolutionary ary nry war and und the Ule recognition of the independence of the tile United States business bushless In the new nation was at a standstill As it attempted to re re- revive revive vive an acute shortage of hard hardmoney hardmoney hardmoney money developed which seriously hampered the Uie efforts of the mer mer- chants Consequently gold and sil all silver allver ver coins became profitable to im Im- import port Every vessel making a n suc suc- successful successful successful voyage to a foreign forel port brought back foreign coinage and d J this money Immediately passed Into circulation tIon Such a heterogeneous currency of of- offered offered a great opportunity to coun By Dy 1786 1780 the country was Wal flooded with bogus corns corm At the time Ep Brasher Drasher was a leading sil st silversmith and jeweler of New York Fortunately he was also an expert on precious metals and this knowl knowl- knowledge knowledge I edge enabled him to pass on the genuineness of coins corns lIe He soon oon conceived the Idea of stamping each good piece pie co which passed through his hands with a punch he used for lor the sliver diver of ot othis his manufacture This mark was E. E B B. in a rectangle Drasher's rep reputation for probity was unquestioned I it t was Immediately recognized recognized I that his initials h on a gold or silver sUver coin were a guarantee of ot its purity |