| DESCRIPTION |
Georgian silver baluster mug with a flying leaf capped C scroll handle and later crest engraving. Holds 13 UK fluid ounces to the brim. Several of you have asked for me to elaborate on the rubbed hallmarks so this is what I see;
The maker's mark is central in my image below and is clearly I.R. The indent to the left side of the R's upright should be ignored as it is a depression in the metal from the manufacture. There are several I.R marks to consider from this period but
John Rowe was apprenticed to Richard Bailey, a known maker of good plain hollowware such as tankards, jugs, tea and coffee pots and so I am confident that we have our man. Above the maker's mark and almost upside down is the leopard's head crowned for
London. The curved and indented outline of the 1739-55 version of this punch is distinctive. To the left and turned clockwise about 80 degrees is the lion passant for sterling silver which again has a distinctive curved and indented outline for the
1739-55 series. Below and turned anti clockwise about 120 degrees is the very rubbed date letter. Look for a shape like an R toppled backwards slightly confused by hammer marks above and to the right. Date letters from the 1739-55 series mostly curve
similarly inwards on the sides but differ top and bottom. You probably will not see it in the image but I can just make out the top edge of the date letter below and to the left of our toppled R. From the position of the indent to the upper edge of the
date letter punch I can deduce that the left upright of the R is part of the date letter whereas the curved right side, particularly the lower section, is part of the punch outline. As the letters for 1739-55 were all lower case we know it cannot be an
R. Looking for a letter with a straight vertical left side and small, roundish enclosed void upper right above a larger unenclosed void lower right. Lower case p for 1750-51 fits the mark very nicely and the date is also perfect for this type and style
of mug. |
