Photo Credit: robertcharlessilver
English Regency Sterling Silver Sugar Bowl
Buy It Now Price: $400 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This charming English Regency sterling silver sugar bowl from 1819 features a gilt interior and twin handles decorated with acanthus leaves, shells and flowers.
-It measures 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) tall by 9 inches (22.9 cm) long by 4 inches (10.2 cm) wide and weighs a generous 358.8 grams (11.54 troy ounces).
-This piece was made during the late Georgian era in a time known as the Regency. The British Regency is generally regarded as encompassing the period from 1795 to 1837. This is in spite of the fact that the formal Regency only ran from 1811 to 1820, when King George III’s son ruled in the elderly king’s place after he had been declared mentally incompetent.
-This Regency sterling silver sugar bowl has all the period correct hallmarks for an early 19th century English silver item. These include the lion passant (indicating sterling silver purity), the crowned leopard’s head (establishing that the item was created in London), the head of King George III (verifying that the duty tax of 6 pence per troy ounce had been paid) and the “d” letter date stamp (recording the year of manufacture – 1819). It also has a maker’s mark, but this is worn to the point of being indecipherable.
-The Regency era was renowned for its cultural achievements. It was during this period that Jane Austin’s timeless romance novel Pride and Prejudice was published (1813), as well as Mary Shelley’s horror masterpiece Frankenstein (1818). The British Regency was also noted for its ostentatious high society, with the wealthy aristocracy constantly attending lavish balls, operas and fêtes.
-I must admit that I am a sucker for a having a nice piece of antique sterling silver at the breakfast table. There is nothing quite like spooning sugar into your morning cereal from a 200 year old Regency sterling silver sugar bowl!
-With a net silver content of 10.67 troy ounces, this Regency sterling silver sugar bowl is quite robustly constructed. The piece has a melt value of $156 with spot at $14.69 an ounce, resulting in a premium of only 156%. Such a low premium is practically criminal for such a beautiful and functional antique piece.
-Classic 18th and early 19th century antique silver has suffered a brutal bear market over the past decade. That leaves this piece and others like it substantially undervalued today – perfect timing for a savvy antique investor to swoop in and take advantage of the situation.
-I find the $400 asking price to be exceedingly fair considering the excellent condition and tremendous aesthetic qualities of this antique Georgian silver.
Cons:
-This Regency sterling silver sugar bowl is in absolutely perfect condition – except for a small dent to one side near the handle. Given the age of the piece, I find this minor flaw to be acceptable.
-In an ideal world, the maker’s mark wouldn’t have been worn smooth, allowing us to determine who made it. Alas, not all wishes are granted.
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