The Use of the Britannia Standard After 1720

In 1696, 396 years after the standard for silver plate was established, a law was passed which decreed that beginning March 25, 1697, all plate had to be made of silver with a fineness of 11oz. 10dwts. of silver in every pound Troy (Pickford 38).  This meant that any piece of plate should have been composed of 95.8% fine silver.  However, as Mr. Anthony Dove points out in his article in the November/December 2007 issue of The Finial, this was not always the case.

This standard is commonly known today as the Britannia standard.  I am not sure what it was called back in the day (perhaps just the New Standard, or The Pain in the Butt Standard).  The Britannia standard was not obligatory after June 1, 1720 (Pickford 39), but some silversmiths chose to continue using the higher standard.  One of the most famous of these, I suppose, is Paul de Lamerie.  One has only to flip through Christopher Hartop's The Huguenot Legacy to see several examples of Lamerie's post-1720 work executed in Britannia standard silver (152, 158 162, 164).  Indeed, Judith Banister (25) tells us that Mr. de Lamerie continued to use the higher standard until 1732.

From my own collection, I can add that Jane Lambe and William Fleming also continued to work in the Britannia standard after 1720, although I don't know how long either of them did so.  Following are photographs of a spoon from 1724 by Jane Lambe in the Britannia standard with a crest and motto of "Festina Lente," or "hasten slowly."  This spoon is of lovely quality and has a beautiful color and patina.  It is my only non-rattail spoon.

Britannia Standard tablespoon, Jane Lambe, London, 1724

Hallmarks, Jane Lambe, London, 1724, and close-up of crest and motto

Following are photographs of a milk jug by William Fleming of 1722 in the Britannia standard.  This little milk jug is, I have to say, absolutely charming.  It is beautifully made and feels wonderful in the hand.  I love the shape of it.  Although my little Lamerie tea bowl is my favorite piece of silver, this jug runs an extremely close second.

Milk jug, William Fleming, London, 1722

Close-up of hallmarks on milk jug, William Fleming, London, 1722

According to Ms. Banister, although tea was originally taken plain, it became popular to take warm milk or cream in tea in the 1720s (Plate 54).  This seems to be corroborated by Eric Delieb (81), who notes that milk jugs originated in the early 18th century but really took off after 1720. 

I was able to find a couple of other examples of post-1720 work by Jane Lambe and William Fleming in the Britannia standard.  One is a basting spoon by Jane Lambe from 1723 and the other is a tankard by William Fleming also from 1723.  Other examples I found of post-1720 Britannia standard silver wares are a coffee pot by John Hugh le Sage of 1722; a snuffer tray by John Pero of 1722; a very similar cream jug by Nathaniel Gulliver of 1723 in Harvard's Fogg Museum; the Treby toilet service by Paul de Lamerie of 1724 in the Ashmolean; and a sauce boat by Anthony Nelme of 1725.  So, it would seem that the practice of using the Britannia standard after 1720 wasn't exceptional, and that several silversmiths continued to do so.

Bonhams sold a cream jug by Thomas Mason of 1725 in the sterling standard.  Take a look at the handle.  It appears to be the same handle as that on my jug.  Were there silversmiths who specialised in providing other silversmiths with items such as cast handles, finials, etc.?

For those silversmiths who continued using the Britannia standard after it ceased to be compulsory, was it their choice to do so, or did their clients request it?

Sources:
Banister, Judith. English Silver. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1966. Print.
Delieb, Eric. Investing in Silver. New York: Clarkson N. Potter Inc., 1967. Print.
Hartop, Christopher. The Huguenot Legacy: English Silver 1680-1760 from the Alan and Simone Hartman
       Collection. London: Thomas Heneage & Co. Ltd, 1996. Print. 
Pickford, Ian, ed. Jackson's Silver & Gold Marks of England, Scotland & Ireland. 3rd ed., 1989. Woodbridge: 
       The Antique Collectors' Club, Ltd., 2011. Print.