His goal was to create a pattern that eclipsed the splendid Renaissance-Baroque metalwork of Benvenuto Cellini, court artist and sculptor in the court of King Francis I who ascended the French throne in 1515.
[2] It has been claimed that the design idea came from one of the many tableware patterns of the Italian silver manufacturer Cesa 1882.
[citation needed] Francis 1st flatware was produced by Reed & Barton Silversmiths.
The original backstamp featured a lion, an eagle, and the letter “R”; Commonly called "Eagle-R-Lion".
Three American Presidents (Wilson, Truman, and Eisenhower) have owned the Francis 1st tableware pattern.