8th Oct, 2024 11:00
Hallmarking interest – A set of six George III provincial sterling silver teaspoons, Newcastle 1797 by Thomas Watson
Old English pattern, with bright cut engraved decoration, engraved with initials MBP in flourished cursive script. Marked to with reverse with duty mark twice. (6)
Length – 12.9 cm / 5.1 inches
Weight – 59 grams / 1.9 ozt
On the 6th July 1797 the duty on silver was doubled from 6d an ounce to 1s an ounce. This increase in duty resulted in the requirement for new punches to be cut. Before this could be done, the assay offices of Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, and York opted to strike the duty mark twice in the short period before the new punches arrived. While the double duty marks of Birmingham and Sheffield survive in appreciable quantities, those from Newcastle and especially York are found in considerably fewer quantities. In Newcastle only seven silversmiths applied for assay in the fourth quarter of the year, approximately the period of double duty mark, their names and the quantity in ounces are as follows:
Fourth quarter of 1797:
Mercy Ashworth – 31oz.
Christian Ker Reid – 369oz.
Thomas Watson – 475oz.
John Langland II – 1094oz.
John Robertson – 272oz.
Christopher Dinsdale – 43oz.
When this is compared to the quantities for the third quarter of that year, one can see there is a considerable reduction in plate sent for assay, reflecting the increased cost of purchase for such items:
Third quarter of 1797:
Mercy Ashworth – 91oz.
Christian Ker Reid – 661oz.
Thomas Watson – 705oz.
John Langlands II – 2240oz.
John Robertson – 881oz.
John Thompson II – 11oz.
Sold for £302
Includes Buyer's Premium
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