An important pair of California Gold Rush-era gold objects comprising a teaspoon testing above 15-karat gold and a Vanderslice & Co., San Francisco shot glass testing above 16-karat gold by XRF analysis. The spoon is marked “…San Francisco,” while the shot glass bears the Vanderslice & Co., San Francisco maker’s mark.

Surviving California-made gold domestic wares from the Gold Rush era are among the rarest forms of American decorative arts. Before the widespread availability of Comstock silver, San Francisco jewelers occasionally fashioned luxury tablewares and drinking vessels from native California gold for an affluent clientele. Most were later melted for their intrinsic value, leaving remarkably few survivors.

William Keyser Vanderslice (1823–1899), a Philadelphia-trained jeweler who established his San Francisco business in 1858, founded one of the city’s earliest luxury manufacturing firms. Objects bearing the Vanderslice & Co., San Francisco mark reflect the craftsmanship and prosperity of Gold Rush-era California.

Dimensions: Spoon: 5.5 in. long; 15 grams; tests above 15-karat gold by XRF analysis. Shot glass: 2 x 2 in.; 50 grams; tests above 16-karat gold by XRF analysis.

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Both pieces retain attractive original surfaces with light wear consistent with age and use. The spoon exhibits minor handling wear, while the shot glass displays light surface scratches from use. Both maker’s marks remain clearly legible.