Britannia Standard Silver Lighthouse Style Sugar Caster - Antique William III

Description

This exceptional antique William III English Britannia standard silver* sugar caster has a cylindrical form in the lighthouse style, onto a domed spreading circular foot.

The plain body of the caster is encircled with an applied girdle and embellished with an impressive contemporary bright cut engraved scrolling leaf bordered cartouche incorporating a coat of arms depicting a chevron between three stags passant.

The caster is fitted with the original hallmarked detachable bayonet style cover embellished with pierced and engraved stylised floral spray ornamentation accented with floral buds.

The domed upper portion of the cover is ornamented with a pierced and applied scrolling lobed design, surmounted with an impressive knopped lobed silver finial.

The rim of the cover and the foot are encompassed with an applied gadroon style border below a band of scalloped decoration.

* Britannia Silver - The Britannia silver standard of 958 (95.84% of fine silver), denoted by the icon of the seated Britannia holding an oval shield, was introduced by William III in 1697. This was to indicate the slightly higher standard of silver from sterling silver standard of 925 (92.5% of fine silver).