Reconstruction for visual comparison — not authentication, exact dating, or valuation.
The reviewed sources support associating the transcribed clue set with Samuel Ayres in Lexington & Danville, Kentucky with the source-transcribed reference note shown. Compare the full object and do not treat this mark alone as authentication.
(b.1767 - d.1824) Active c.1784-1822 in Lexington, 1823-1824 working in Danville, also involved in Ayres & Haydon and Ayres & Hiter.
Observable features
Transcribed mark: S.Ayres
Common misreads and confused-with clues
Worn or incomplete impressions
Similar surnames, initials, or retailer marks
What the sources support
The cited material supports a bounded maker or mark-family context and the source-transcribed date or reference note shown here. Exact variants require further review.
925-1000.com · American silver maker index · accessed 2026-07-30
Smithsonian Libraries · CC0 public-domain silversmith and mark reference · accessed 2026-07-30
What this mark cannot settle
The mark alone cannot establish authenticity.
The mark alone cannot establish condition or provenance.
The mark alone cannot establish an exact production date unless a specific variant is independently sourced.