Towle Flatware

While Towle Silversmiths was not officially founded until 1857 as Towle & Jones, its progenitors included members of the Moulton family who claim to have the longest continuous span of silversmithing of any American family. This is a family tradition passed from father to son over a period of more than two hundred years.

The history of Towle can be traced back to the beginning of America itself when William Moulton II left England at the age of 18 to sell silver and other goods in the town of Newbury, Massachusetts. After its founding in 1857, the company passed through several iterations and owners, being called A.F. Towle and Son, Towle Manufacturing Co., and eventually Towle Silversmiths at various points in its early history.

Towle received great fanfare and recognition for its work. Its Mary Louise pattern was adopted as the official sterling silver pattern for U.S. embassies worldwide, and the Contour pattern was the only production line American flatware to be included in New York's Museum of Modern Art "Good Designs" exhibition.

Quick Facts

• In 1890, Towle Silversmiths adopted the official stamp of an uppercase T swaddled by a lion
• In October 2015, Skinner Auctions sold a Towle Colonial Flatware Service for more than $1,800
• Towle sterling silver flatware and antique coffee and tea vessels routinely fetch over a thousand dollars at auction