Frank H. Coenen

Frank Coenen, saddlemaker and silversmith extraordinaire, emigrated from Denmark to the USA in the early 20th century entering the saddle business in Southern California in 1906 during that transitionary period between the traditional utilitarian tack of the old west and the rapid assent of the flashier Hollywood cowboy. A fellow Scandinavian like Edward H. Bohlin, Coenen became one of Bohlin’s chief rivals, producing some of the finest sterling silver parade outfits of the era including the multiple gold-medal winning saddle for the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City. Frank's stunning, heavy gauge sterling silver repousse creations were coveted by the most discriminating Hollywood clientele of the day like Tom Mix, Will Rogers and Wallace Beery. Several of his Coenen's most renowned saddles tell a story or chronicle historical events like his illustrious San Fernando model with its twenty-two completely different cowboy scenes. Legendary silver saddle collector extraordinaire, Mort Fleischer, of Scottsdale, AZ validated the Coenen legacy when he chose a Coenen saddle for the cover of his collection book, Fine Art of the West, written by Byron Price and published in 2004.

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