Burnell and Rowe

Description

Here we have a fine quality William III Britannia Silver Table Spoon in the Dog Nose pattern. The spoon has a long rat tail from the stem running down the back of the bowl. There is a diamond shaped crest of three crowned birds with an ermine chevron through the middle engraved on the underside of the stem.

Britannia Silver is a higher grade of silver at 958/1000 as compared to Sterling Silver at 925/1000. It was the compulsory standard between 1696 and 1720 and has remained optional, though rarely used, thereafter.

The table spoon was made in London by silversmith Lawrence Jones and dates to 1701. Lawrence Jones was a specialist spoon maker in London. He was active from the mid 1680s until around 1715. There is little information available about him but his surviving spoons are of consistently good quality and he appears to have had a number of aristocratic patrons.

Condition is very good, with no dings or dents and just the superficial surface wear that has to be anticipated after 325 years of good service. Please make sure to view all the photographs.

The table spoon is 19.2cm / 7.5ins long and 4.2cm / 1.6ins wide across the bowl. It weighs in at a very respectable 54.3g / 1.9oz / 1.75toz of solid Britannia Silver.

As with all spoons of this era it is bottom struck and the hallmarks are therefore somewhat distorted but can still be read. They show the seated Britannia for Britannia Silver (958/1000 standard), the lion's head assay mark for London, the double ff date letter for 1701 and the Jo with a crown above and star below makers' mark for Lawrence Jones.

Shipping in the UK is £13.00 by Royal Mail Special Delivery, which includes cover for the value of the spoon.
Overseas customers, please ask us about shipping costs to your country before making a purchase.