MARK OF WILLIAM K. VANDERSLICE & CO., SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, CIRCA 1870

William K. Vanderslice (1823-1899) is one of the best-known San Francisco silversmiths, who along with George C. Shreve, pioneered the industry in the city in mid-19th century. After the discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada, silver became readily available on the West Coast. Silversmiths such as Vanderslice came from the East Coast to cater to the newly wealthy and important population (K. M. McClinton, Collecting American 19th Century Silver, New York, 1968, pp. 56-57). Vanderslice opened his silver shop in 1858, after training and working in Philadelphia. Shortly after establishing his workshop, Vanderslice began to receive commissions from important individuals like Henry Goode Blasdel, the first elected governor of the prosperous new state of Nevada.