A George III presentation silver-gilt snuff box

A George III presentation silver-gilt snuff box,
by A. J. Strachan, London 1805,
rectangular form, engine-turned decoration, the hinged cover with applied Greek key border and lettering 'RICORDANZA', the inside of the cover inscribed 'From Colonel Sir John Eamer. To Lieut. Col. Birch. 1805', length 7.6cm, approx. weight 2.6oz.

Provenance:
The Barry Lock Collection.
Purchased from Mary Cooke Antiques Ltd, London, 17 March 2010.

Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas James Birch (c.1768-1829) was, amongst other things, a celebrated fossil collector. He famously sold his entire collection to help the family of Mary Anning (1799-1847), the noted palaeontologist. It was in 1820 that Birch organised his auction, which attracted international collectors and raised £400. This sale not only provided a financial grounding for Anning's further work, but also helped raise her profile in paleontological circles.