1785-86 London silver tankard
Beer tankard with flip lid. Crest on front with boars and words “Deus Parabit” underneath it. Stamps of maker on bottom and underside of lid. Thick heavy handle. Detailed ribbing on outside of mug and on lid. Is very tarnished and has two small dents on the barrel. Lid doesn’t shut evenly or fully. Was analyzed by senior curator at the colonial Williamsburg foundation in 1988 and I have this paperwork.
6 1/4” high 3 1/2” diameter top and bottom 4 1/2” bulge around middle Handle 5” top to bottom
Given to me by my grandfather. Don’t know how he obtained it
Inherited
Maybe
Hi Brigg,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:
An antique Georgian sterling silver covered tankard
bearing marks IR (Possibly by John Robins), London, date mark 1785-1786,
Of swelled reeded barrel form with flat cover and scrolled thumb piece, single loop handle, marked to the bottom. Engraved with armorial with boars and scrolls and the motto "Deus Parabit" (God with Prepare).
6 1/4 inches high
CONDITION: wear commensurate to age and use including
PROVENANCE: inherited
$700-1,000*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.
Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, and thank you again for using Mearto.
Apologies, Brigg, there seems to be a glitch where the dimensions field isn't being passed along to the appraisers - I've alerted our tech support so hopefully this is fixed soon.
Anyway, you're all set with this, thanks.
Hi Delia,
Thanks for getting back to me and providing the appraisal. Could you give me a bit more information about how you land on that price? Is part of it the condition, and if so, is there anything to do about that? Is it appropriate to refurbish/repair these types of things and is it worth it?
Thank you for your help!
Brigg
I looked at recent auction sales of similar tankards to guide in my valuations (see these links):
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/68917764_georgian-silver-tankard-by-thomas-jenkinson-1787
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/111505493_english-georgian-silver-tankard-london-c-1792
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/24447917_english-georgian-silver-covered-tankard
(the www.liveauctioneers.com database is free but you might need to register to see prices realized).
When compared to other forms of tankards made during the late 18th Century, the barrel form is less graceful and elegant than others, which is a factor. To be honest, the dents and ill-fitting lid ARE a detriment to value; however, I would not recommend going to the expense of having these corrected if you are interested in selling this as collectors might see recent repairs as a "red flag" that would diminish interest.
I hope I've answered your questions but if not, please let me know.
Hi. Thanks for getting back to me. I put the dimensions in. Did they somehow get erased or do you need me to be really precise?
Here’s what I wrote originally:
6 1/4” high
3 1/2” diameter top and bottom
4 1/2” bulge around middle
Handle 5” top to bottom
Thanks,
Brigg