We have here two very nice Georgian Sterling silver salt cellars with ornate designs. These would have been placed as part of a table setting for an individual guest, and would literally have contained salt, or could have been used for preserves/jam the guest could have put on her/his food. One is date stamped for 1793 and the other for 1794 using the British date symbol system, and the pieces bear the lion passant symbol for Sterling composition and the crowned leopard symbol indicating they were made in London. They both also very clearly are stamped with the duty mark for King George III. On one of he cellars, I can see maker’s initials that appear to say “RH” and appear to be in the style used by London silversmith Robert Hennell, who would have been active at this time. The other cellar does not appear to have maker’s initials, but based on having an essentially identical design, I’m reasonably sure both of these would have been made by the same maker, and that maker was likely Robert Hennell. The photos of weights didn’t quite come out clearly, but one weighs a bit over 54 grams and the other a bit over 56 grams, for a combined weight of about 110 grams. They stand about 1.5″ tall and are about 2.5″ across. 18th century Sterling is scarce and getting scarcer. This is NOT scrap, and the description and higher but fair pricing reflect my desire for these to go into the good hands of someone who respects their history and artistry. These would make excellent additions to a collection.
