Object Description
A little period gem. A small rectangular silver snuff box with simple plain styling and gilded interior. Queen Anne or George I period.
Weight 37 grams, 1.2 troy ounces. T
op measures 5cm x 3.5cm.
Stamped inside the base with a single makers mark “IS” with the distinctive swan for John Swann.
London circa 1714.
Britannia standard silver.
Marks. Arthur Grimwade mentions in his “London Goldsmiths 1697-1837” that, as during the New Standard period makers marks for silver consisted of the first two letters of the surname, this mark was possibly reserved for gold only, unless it was a mistake and corrected by Swann’s second mark in 1715 using initials “SW”.
JOHN SWANN
John Swann, apprenticed to Henry Leyon 1695, free 1709/1712. 1st mark entered as smallworker 1714 using initials “IS”. 2nd mark 1715 using initials “SW”.
New Standard period makers marks for silver consisted of the first two letters of the surname. Arthur Grimwade mentions in his “London Goldsmiths 1697-1837” that the “IS” mark was possibly reserved for gold only, unless it was a mistake and corrected by Swann’s second mark in 1715 using initials “SW”.