Description

A rare American silver beaker by John Hull and Robert Sanderson. Boston, Mass. circa 1660-75. Height 4 inches
7 oz 10 dwt. Provenance Old South Church, Boston. Single owner for the last 350 years. John Hull and Robert Sanderson ran the Boston mint coining the New England,Willow Tree and Pine Tree Shillings. They were the first silversmiths in the colonies. After the British evacuated Boston, Sunday, March 17th,1776″we entered the Old South church, …it had been turned into a riding school, for the use of general Burgoyne’s regiment of cavalry…the pulpit and all the pews were taken away and burnt for fuel, and many hundred loads of dirt and gravel were carted in, and spread upon the floor….a grog shop was erected in the gallery where liquor was sold so the soldiery, and consequently produced scenes of riot and debauchery in that holy temple” ……..Reminiscences of the evacuation of Boston published in the Boston Centinal, 1821-22.
This beaker would have been at the Old South Church when Samuel Adams fired up the Sons of Liberty in December 1773 and sent them to dump the tea into the Boston Harbor. SOLD