EXETER. A rare Queen Anne Britannia Standard Drinking Mug made in Exeter in 1708 by John Elston.
EXETER. A rare Queen Anne Britannia Standard Drinking Mug made in Exeter in 1708 by John Elston.
375158
Exeter Drinking Mugs from this early date are extremely rare and as you will see from the images, the Mug is of tapering cylindrical form and stands on a flared reeded foot. The lower section of the main body is decorated with lobes and flutes and an engraved band of foliate motifs above. This was a popular form of decoration during this period. The upper section displays a raised horizontal girdle of lobes and beads, flanked either side by foliate motifs. The sides rise to an everted rim of good thick gauge. The strap handle is of "S" scroll shape and is decorated with reeding. The underside is engraved with a set of betrothal initials, in script lettering, and the date 1708 and the front is engraved with a lion rampant family Crest. The Mug is in quite excellent condition, has a fine colour and displays original interior hammer marks from when it was made. It is very well marked under the rim, with a very crisp set of hallmarks. As you will appreciate, this is right at the beginning of the formal date letter system in Exeter which had only started in 1701 and examples are very scarce. John Elson was an important silversmith in Exeter whose role, after 1701, was of an astute businessman, who operated a busy workshop staffed by London trained journeyman. He was a person of ability and substance, as he was Mayor of Exeter by 1727.
Height: 3.5 inches, 8.75 cm.
Base Diameter: 3.1 inches, 7.75 cm.
Weight: 4.2 oz.
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![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://seekunique.co/customer_websites/marycooke/british-silver-1649-1759/exeter-a-rare-queen-anne-britannia-standard-drinking-mug-made-in-exeter-in-1708-by-john-elston&media=https://seek-unique-co.s3.amazonaws.com/marycooke-8876-Qfhef-OE67/stock/66b791afb7fd2_image_url_CB59.JPG&description=Exeter Drinking Mugs from this early date are extremely rare and as you will see from the images, the Mug is of tapering cylindrical form and stands on a flared reeded foot. The lower section of the main body is decorated with lobes and flutes and an engraved band of foliate motifs above. This was a popular form of decoration during this period. The upper section displays a raised horizontal girdle of lobes and beads, flanked either side by foliate motifs. The sides rise to an everted rim of good thick gauge. The strap handle is of "S" scroll shape and is decorated with reeding. The underside is engraved with a set of betrothal initials, in script lettering, and the date 1708 and the front is engraved with a lion rampant family Crest. The Mug is in quite excellent condition, has a fine colour and displays original interior hammer marks from when it was made. It is very well marked under the rim, with a very crisp set of hallmarks. As you will appreciate, this is right at the beginning of the formal date letter system in Exeter which had only started in 1701 and examples are very scarce. John Elson was an important silversmith in Exeter whose role, after 1701, was of an astute businessman, who operated a busy workshop staffed by London trained journeyman. He was a person of ability and substance, as he was Mayor of Exeter by 1727.Height: 3.5 inches, 8.75 cm.Base Diameter: 3.1 inches, 7.75 cm.Weight: 4.2 oz. ){kind=link}