Early in the Civil War soldiers were issued their mess gear by the various state recruiting services, so there are quite a few different designs that were obtained on different contracts or by open-market purchases. On top of that, there were a number of patent types that promised convenience or compactness that were purchased by new soldiers or given to them by family and well-wishers. This creates a lot of opportunities for the collector and reassures us that our ancestors, too, liked to be ahead of the curve with the latest invention or gadget.

This is a scarce three-piece interlocking set patented by L.H. Worman and J.O. Ely of Philadelphia on February 4, 1862. Interestingly, the set used two patents filed the same day. The first was for the construction of the knife and fork, constructing the handles of sheet metal, “shaped so as to be wholly closed and hollow…” The second was for the design of the spoon, the handle of which, “has an aperture, and is bent in such a manner as to admit the handle of a knife and the tines of a fork fitting into flanges on the side of the handle…”

The set is in very good condition, with no bends or breaks, and all three pieces are present, which is scarce. The knife blade and fork tines are both firmly in place in their hollow white-metal handles. There is some overall wear to the tinning on the handle of the spoon and tip of the knife blade, with the metal showing mix of muted silver, medium and dark gray, but no pitting, and a more even flat gray on the handles. The patent stamps are visible. The stamp on the spoon is a tad light on the left of the bottom line. That on the knife is fully legible, with a slight scratch in the “2.” As is correct, the fork is not marked and “Philadelphia” is abbreviated in two different ways.

This would look great in a camp display, among the mess gear or personal effects of a typical soldier. It would also be a key piece in a study of the different merchandise targeted at the huge number of men headed for a very different life in camp and field.  [sr]

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