A George II sterling silver salver, London 1754 by William Peaston (reg. 8^th Jan 1746)

Of shaped circular form with shell and scroll rim, shaped cavetto edge raised on three pad feet. The field with contemporaneous flat chased decoration of flower heads, bouquets of fruit, rocaille C scrolls with reserves of fish scale. The centre engraved with a contemporaneous impaled coat of arms, reserved within a Rococo cartouche of rocaille, foliate scrolls and floral sprays. Fully marked to the reverse.

Diameter – 29.2 cm / 11.2 inches

Weight – 749 grams / 24.08 ozt

The arms are for Watson impaling Yonge

There are some discrepancies for the arms engraved upon this salver, the arms for Watson are missing two crescents, whereas the arms for Yonge have been misinterpreted by the engraver by being depicted per pale rather than on a bend. This last discrepancy would appear to stem from the 18^th century blazon for these arms being written; Ar on a bend Sa, three Griffin’s heads erases Or paleways (Edmondson, J., A Complete Body of Heraldry, Volume 1, (1780), London: T. Spillsbury, Chapter 14).