John Coney (silversmith)
Encyclopedia
John Coney was an early American silversmith and goldsmith from Boston
, Massachusetts. He specialised in engraving. From the 1690s on, Coney was considered the most important Bostonian silversmith of his day. In 1702, he engraved the paper money for Massachusetts.
John Coney was the apprentice of and lather brother-in-law to Jeremiah Dummer
, the first American-born silversmith. He married Mary Atwater, sister of Dummer's wife, in 1694. They were widower and widow, Coney was married twice before. He had twelve children in total, but only five daughters survived beyond infancy.
His last apprentice, from 1716 until the time of Coney's death, was Apollos Rivoire, father of Paul Revere
, and his indirect influence on Revere was considerable. Other apprentices included the brothers Samuel (1684-1713) and John (1692-1720) Gray, early silversmiths from Connecticut
, and John Burt.
Many examples of his work, including a sugar box and two chocolate boxes, are in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
. A silver plate by Coney was sold for $324,750 at Sotheby's
in New York in 2002.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts. He specialised in engraving. From the 1690s on, Coney was considered the most important Bostonian silversmith of his day. In 1702, he engraved the paper money for Massachusetts.
John Coney was the apprentice of and lather brother-in-law to Jeremiah Dummer
Jeremiah Dummer (silversmith)
Jeremiah Dummer was the first American-born silversmith, whose works are today highly valued.-Life:Dummer was born in Newbury, Massachusetts, the first son of Richard Dummer and his second wife, Frances Burr....
, the first American-born silversmith. He married Mary Atwater, sister of Dummer's wife, in 1694. They were widower and widow, Coney was married twice before. He had twelve children in total, but only five daughters survived beyond infancy.
His last apprentice, from 1716 until the time of Coney's death, was Apollos Rivoire, father of Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
, and his indirect influence on Revere was considerable. Other apprentices included the brothers Samuel (1684-1713) and John (1692-1720) Gray, early silversmiths from Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and John Burt.
Many examples of his work, including a sugar box and two chocolate boxes, are in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
. A silver plate by Coney was sold for $324,750 at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
in New York in 2002.