William and Mary Britannia standard antique English silver…
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William and Mary Britannia standard antique English silver sugar caster, late 17th century, marks rubbed but most likely date letter for 1698 with lion's head erased, 15 cm high, 184 grams
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- Britannia Standard - A higher grade of silver than sterling silver. Britannia standard silver contains at least 958 parts per thousand of pure silver, while sterling silver contains at least 925 parts per thousand of pure silver.
The Britannia standard was obligatory in Britain between 1697 and 1720 and after that was optional, so there are very few silver items that come onto the market that are Britannia standard.
Not to be confused with silver plated Britannia metal items, often marked as "EPBM", a pewter type alloy, that when unplated can be temporarily polished to a silver-like lustre. - Date Letter on Silver - A date letter is a letter or symbol that is used to mark silver and other precious metals to indicate the year in which the piece was made. The date letter system is used by the British hallmarking system and it is a way to verify that a piece of silver is genuine and has been assayed (tested) by an official assay office.
The date letter system has been in use since the 14th century and it changes every year, so it is possible to identify the year in which a piece of silver was made by looking at the date letter. The date letter is usually stamped alongside other hallmarks such as the maker's mark, and the standard mark (indicating the fineness of the metal) on the silver piece. The style of the letters varies depending on the assay office, and the style of the lettering also changes over time. The date letter is usually placed inside a shield shape, sometimes accompanied by other symbols.
The date letter system is not used in all countries, so if a piece of silver does not have a date letter, it does not necessarily mean it is not authentic. The date letter system is not always used for small or insignificant silver items. - Caster - Casters are so-called because they ?cast? their contents over food. They consist of a container, usually in silver or pewter with a removable perforated top which allows for the sprinkling of condiments such as sugar, pepper and nutmeg.
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