Silver, Vertu, Coins & Medals - 19th January 2016
Lot 414
The Royal Mint
Estimate £200 - £300 | Hammer £1400
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Description
The Royal Mint, a silver Messenger's Badge, Britannia seated on shore-line holding palm spray, with lion, shield and cornucopia beside her, beyond a ship sails towards the shore, 1678 engraved on exergual line and initials "JC" below, London Hallmark 1793, maker possibly John Touliet or John Tatum, 87 x 50mm, set in "royal" blue enamelled mount with scalloped edge and bottom half of original leather case.
The attribution must remain uncertain. The Bank of England also uses Britannia, though they do not surround her with the attributes of this piece. The cataloguers are aware of another example of the badge, this earlier and dated 1783, though the IT maker was identified as John Tweedie. It also carried the initials JC and was surrounded with a similar enamel mount.