Nice spoon from a fairly obscure maker that isn't commonly seen. Here's a bit more for you:
In relation to ‘H. Whitcomb’ countermarks on silver coins, you’ll see biographical information beginning with the words: "Henry Whitcomb arrived in Adams, NY in 1804 as a jeweler and watchmaker”. That information has been perpetuated in auction catalogues (eg ‘The Philadelphia Americana Sale’ of 14-16 September 2011) but it’s not completely correct since it’s a misquote from the original source.
It’s derived from the information on p.379 of ‘The Growth of a Century: as Illustrated in the History of Jefferson County ...’ by John A. Haddock. The actual text reads:
"Henry Whitcomb came to Adams in 1804. He was a jeweler of great ingenuity, and few people in the vicinity cared to purchase a timepiece that had not been approved by Henry Whitcomb. He was exact to a moment in his calculation of time, and for many years he regulated the time of the Rome and Watertown Railroad with great precision. He married Miss Clarinda Holley, and resided in Adams over sixty years. He died in Detroit in 1886."
So, he did come to Adams, NY in 1804 but he wasn’t a jeweler at that time. He was, at most, 5 years old, having been born in 1799/1800 in Massachusetts. Census records from 1830 onwards show him residing in Adams with his wife Clarinda plus children Elizabeth and Edward. He also appears in the 1859 & 1882 New York state business directory as a “dealer in watches & jewelry” in Adams. The information that he was granted a patent on 25 October 1827 for an improvement in the method of discharging cannon and ship-guns is correct.
Various ‘H. Whitcomb' countermarks on coins are known, sometimes followed by the location ‘Adams’ and occasionally followed by a date (I’ve seen 1827 and 1831 reported). The spelling is sometimes ‘Whitcom’ but it’s not clear if this is an alternative spelling or the result of the end part of the punch trailing off.
