Description

A rare early antique silver coffee pot with straight tapering sides and domed lid typical of the period. Wooden side handle. Large size and good weight. A nice feature is the little hinged flap on the end of the spout.

Contains 1200ml.
Weight 930 grams, 29.9 troy ounces.
Height 26cm. Diameter of base 11.4cm.
London 1713.
Maker Anthony Nelme.
Britannia standard silver.
18th century.

Marks. Full silver hallmarks to the side of the body which are still clear and able to be read easily. No marks on the lid or stopper – this is to be expected with a piece of this age. Scratchweight underneath 29=14=0 and some faint owners initials in prick dots.

Britannia Standard. In 1696, so extensive had become the melting and clipping of coinage that the silversmiths were forbidden to use the sterling standard for their wares, but had to use a new higher standard, 95.8 per cent with new hallmarks – “the figure of a woman commonly called Britannia (or Hibernia)” and the lion’s head erased (torn off at the neck) to replace the lion passant and the leopard’s head crowned. This continued until the old standard of 92.5 per cent was restored in 1720.

Literature. Coffee and chocolate were established as part of social life by the end of the century and coffee pots can be found from the 1680’s onwards. Initially, these tall form pots (as averse to the squatter teapot shape) were used for both coffee and chocolate however we term chocolate pots to be those with either a removable finial or removable lid for inserting a swizzle stick. We also nominate some early side handled pots as chocolate pots.