Admiral Lord Nelson, a George III commemorative silver-gilt snuff box,

Admiral Lord Nelson, a George III commemorative silver-gilt snuff box,
by William Purse, London 1805,
rectangular form, the hinged cover with a winged victory angel blowing a trumpet and Britannia lamenting over a portrait in profile of the fallen hero, above the banner 'Nile, Copenhagen, Trafalgar', with a lion and the stern of H.M.S. Victory in the background, the sides and base with bands of decoration, the interior of the cover inscribed 'J. Aveling 77th Regiment', length 7.8cm, approx. weight 2.5oz.

Provenance: A Private Collection.
Purchased from Henry Duke’s saleroom in Dorchester on 17^th August, 2006, lot 265.

The elaborate lid of this snuffbox was originally designed by Peter Wyon, sculptor and medallist, as a memorial plaquette and only afterwards used to adorn a few snuffboxes. Of all the many items made to commemorate Nelson’s heroic death at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, these boxes may be regarded as one of the most exclusive. Extensive research by the vendor, a Nelson aficionado for many years, has noted only three other examples in addition to the one offered here, one of them in the celebrated Lily McCarthy Collection held in the Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth.

John Avering was an ensign in the 77th Regiment on the 25 November 1802, he became a Lieutenant in 1804 and went on to become a Captain on the 20 May 1813. He died while serving as a captain circa 1822-23.
For the maker's mark see Grimwade, A., London Goldsmiths 1697-1837, Faber and Faber 1990, page 276, entry 3895.