An American silver salver, Myer Myers, New York, circa 1775

the center with contemporary script monogram JS; the back lightly scratched with the name John, IS once, and JS twice.

John Stevenson, Albany, New York, to his daughter
Anne Stevenson, m. in 1813 as his second wife Major General Pierre Van Cortlandt II, to their great-granddaughters
Catherine Van Cortlandt Matthews and Isabel Rutherford (Matthews) Mason, sold
Parke-Bernet, New York, February 6-8, 1941, "American Silver and Heirlooms, of the Van Cortlandt, Beck, Clinton and Caldwell Families, from the Van Cortlandt Manor House, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.", lot 463.

David L. Barquist, Myer Myers: Jewish Silversmith in Colonial New York, Yale, 2001, pp. 218-19, illus.

rim split through one angle of border, rim slightly bent in one spot, some wear to monogram, otherwise good and clear marks
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This waiter is a copy by Myers of an English example of 1747 by William Peaston of London.  Both were owned by Albany merchant John Stevenson, who married in 1771 Magdalena Douw.  Stevenson was presumably the patron who commissioned Myers to copy the English piece about twenty years after its original creation, to form a pair that were both engraved his initials.

Stevenson's daughter married Major General Pierre Van Cortlandt, and both salvers descended in the Van Cortlandt family until their sale in 1941.  They were later acquired by Paul Mellon, who presented the Peaston salver to Historic Hudson Valley.