Stunning English Silver Plate Tea & Coffee Set Elkington & Co 1853

  

ENGLISH VICTORIAN REPOUSSE SILVER PLATE TEA/COFFEE SERVICE. MADE BY ELKINGTON & CO 1853.

Please to offer a stunning example of English Victorian silver-plate work. Keep in mind 75% of all silver produced for the market in the UK was silver-plate. The top third of the country could afford sterling for their flat & holloware. Thus there was a demand for the highest grade silver-plate with the same workmanship as sterling. This wonderful set is an example of the top tier quality hand chased silver-plate. A collector of plate contacted me and let me know that t he M stamp stands for "Josiah Mason". Was called Elkington, Mason & Co. Please see last picture of this exact set for sale from their 1850 catalog! To that extent, the most renown makers actually stamped their silver with similar marks and added letters as date marks just like assayed silver. Elkington actually produced both sterling and silver-plate.

This four piece set is comprised of a tall pear shaped tea pot, a matching squat coffee pot, and double handles baluster sugar bowl and large matching cream jug. The pieces are comprised of vertical panels with raised polished edges.

The top carries the naturalistic flare to flower capped finials. Baluster body culminates on a sloped stepped circular base. The handle offer classic Georgian C shaped double scrolled with capped flying leaf thumb rest.

The condition of all pieces is superbe with no loss of plate especially in high spots. The repousse work is crisp and clear the bright cut work all shows great attention to detail. Each pieces stamped on the base with the makers mark of Elkington & Co. Date letter of O within a lozenge for 1853 (sometimes seen with a Gothic M).

He patented the first commercial use of electroplating process (silver plating). The set weights over 5 lbs.