“There are only seven or eight salt cellars with the Thomas II ‘X’ on the bottom known to exist,” says noted expert Wayne Hilt, a Connecticut-based dealer in American and British pewter. “Even a well-used example would bring at least $1,500.”

The Danforth pewter legacy began with Thomas Danforth I (working in 1733–1786) in Norwich, Connecticut, and his two sons, Thomas II (w.1755–1782, Middleton, Conn.) and John (w.1762–1793, Norwich, Conn.), who apprenticed to become pewterers. By 1860, when pewter was largely replaced by inexpensive china from England, five generations and 17 men had followed in the Danforth family tradition, representing varying degrees of success and innovation.

Today, the Danforth name is well recognized within the pewter-collecting world. “The reason for

Then: Antique salt cellar.

this is the quality—each generation has a reputation of producing expertly crafted pieces,” says Eric Gronning, vice president of Sotheby’s American Furniture Department. While all Danforth pewter is collectible, rare forms in fine condition command a significant premium. Take, for example, a tall “spire” flagon with beehive finial, made by Samuel Danforth (w.1795–1816, Hartford, Conn.), and sold by Sotheby’s New York in October 2000 for $14,400 (all prices include buyer’s premium).

“Hollowware is always coveted by both silver and pewter collectors, and flagons are especially desirable,” says Gronning. “This particular piece is considered by many collectors to be Samuel’s best design. Today, it would easily fetch $16,000 at a well-advertised auction.”

Equally rare and desirable was Sotheby’s offering in May 2003 of a gallon-size basin made by Joseph Danforth II (w.1807–1812, Richmond, Va.), one of only two known examples of this size and by this maker. (The other resides at Colonial Williamsburg.) “I expected it to sell high, and so I wasn’t surprised when it realized $13,200,” says Hilt. “Pewter made before the Civil War didn’t survive very well. It was either melted down for ammunition or destroyed by troops from the North.”

The Danforth family legacy was re-established in 1975, when Fred Danforth, the sixth great-grandson of Thomas Danforth I, and his new bride, Judi Whipple, founded Danforth Pewter in Woodstock, Vermont. And while some of their pieces are influenced by their ancestry, you won’t find any historical reproductions. Instead, the couple has put a new spin on an old craft, introducing new forms and designs of both traditional and non-traditional pieces.