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Derby Silver Co. Tea/Coffee Service (Pattern #2607)
The marking Derby Silver Co. indicates this set was made by the Derby Silver Company of Derby (Shelton), Connecticut – a major American silverware firm founded in 1872[link removed by ][link removed by ]. Derby Silver Co. later merged into the International Silver Company in 1898, but continued producing holloware under its own name until the plant closed in 1933[link removed by ][link removed by ]. Thus, all pieces stamped “Derby Silver Co.” date from the late 19th or early 20th century.
Material and Plating
Derby Silver Co. specialized in silver-plated ware (electroplate), not solid sterling silver. In fact, Derby’s catalogs guaranteed items were “heavily plated with pure silver upon the finest grades of nickel silver or white metal”[link removed by ]. In practice this often meant multiple (even quadruple) silver plating for durability. For example, an sale description of a similar Derby tea set notes it was “turn of the century” and “quadruple silver plated”[link removed by ]. In short, these pieces are silverplate: a base metal (nickel silver or brass) covered with a layer of silver, not solid sterling.
Date/Period
Because Derby Silver Co. closed in 1933, the set must date before that. Further, if the pieces bear only “Derby Silver Co.” (rather than an International Silver logo), they most likely come from the turn of the century – roughly 1880s–1910s[link removed by ][link removed by ]. Indeed, a near-identical Derby tea service was described by a collector as a “turn of the century” (circa 1900) design[link removed by ]. The ornate etched decoration also fits the Victorian/Edwardian era style common to Derby Silver Co. designs.
Pieces and “Waste Bowl”
The four pieces shown are: a teapot, a covered sugar bowl, a creamer (small pitcher), and a waste bowl. (Original Derby #2607 sets were often 5- or 6-piece services that included both a tea pot and matching coffee pot, plus these items.) A waste bowl – sometimes called a slop bowl – is indeed a legitimate tea-service piece: it’s a small bowl used for discarding leftover tea or spent tea leaves[link removed by ][link removed by ]. Merriam-Webster defines a “waste bowl” as “a small bowl forming part of a tea service and used for waste tea or tea leaves”[link removed by ]. (Older references note these slop bowls were used to pour out cold or leftover tea before refilling a cup[link removed by ].) In practice, a waste bowl sits on the tea table alongside the pot, creamer, and sugar. (G2-3656)
