SUPERB QUALITY & CONDITION EARLY RARE LARGE GEORGIAN SNUFF / TOBACCO BOX c. SUPERB QUALITY AND CONDITION EARLY & RARE ENGLISH GEORGIAN. PEROIOD LARGE OVAL SILVER SNUFF / TOBACCO BOX c. This is an Antique, 18th Century, handmade tobacco / snuff box; intended to keep loose pipe tobacco or ground snuff tobacco fresh and to maintain the tobacco’s qualities and aroma. This piece is 2 centuries + old, and dates to the late 1700’s. This large sized snuff / tobacco box that has a very tight seal and could have been pocket carried; or could also have been used at home, in an office, or business. Oval is 4″ long x 2 3/4″ wide x 1 3/16 tall. Weight is 3.1ounces or 87 grams. The Artistry and Craftsmanship, combined with the select materials demonstrates this was an expensive piece; intended for a Wealthy Gentleman of Means. The fact this piece has a prominent overlaid silver oval escutcheon hand engraved in the Old English style with the initials T over H, with tiny dot accents and stylized border, suggests this may have been a presentation piece as was common for the period. This box has all the characteristics of an 18th C. Period oval shape, silver construction, select slightly domed antique top and bottom, period style escutcheon hand engraved in an Old English style, and thin channeled silver ribs to the top and base. As in many 18th Century pieces, this unmarked piece was made in Old England. Being unmarked suggests it is a Provincial piece, i. Made by one of the many small workshops outside the main metropolitan arears, such as London. The oval base is a simple strap of silver (perhaps coin silver) soldered at one point and finely finished. The bottom of the base has a thin strap with 2 groves. The very bottom is slightly peened inward to create a thin lip to secure the domed bottom and is held in place on the top inside by an oval silver wire. The top is fashioned, en suite, but with a 3 grooved strap, soldered together that is hard to find, with a top lip and inside silver wire. This top is soldered to a thin 3/16 lip that fits securely outside around the top edge of the base. The top fits the base only one way, which is evident in that it creates an exceptionally tight fit. By gently squeezing the outer rims of the top and base together to seat the top onto the base, this creates a very tight fit; and requires careful 2 handed prying to the top border lip to pull the 2 tight pieces apart slowly and carefully. This tight fit of the exceptional craftsmanship combined with light period usage, being “put up” and stored properly, attests to the current superb condition overall of this piece. There are traces of dark naturally occurring patina in the silver protected areas between the thin grooves. By rotating the top in the light, one can see the extremely fine random patterns of the top material. The top and bottom material can be enhanced with a thin coat of mineral oil, and buffed gently to create shiny, polished appearance if desired. The silver is in remarkable condition, with no dents or dings to the side strap. As is expected, there are a very few spots where the thin silver edged holding the top and bottom panels have very tiny, hard to see dints to the edge, but can be see with a jeweler’s loupe; and two minuscule dings to the bottom border of the silver that don’t show unless you turn the piece over and see these tiny, hard to notice dints. Use this fine box as a paperweight, desk accessory, decorative, jewelry, keepsake, trinket, tobacco, snuff, pipe smoking or Tobacciana collection or conversation piece; or could still be used today for its original purpose for snuff or tobacco. Exceptions include holidays, power outages, and evacuations. Claims such as doesn’t match description or photos, doesn’t seem authentic, Doesn’t fit, Wrong item sent, Missing parts or pieces, Doesn’t work or defective, Arrived damaged. Due to a myriad of International and U. Listing and template services provided by inkFrog.
