Sterling Silver Serviette Ring | Engraved 'L' | Maker H&R | Birmingham, 1946–47

Sterling Silver Serviette Ring | Engraved ‘L’ | Maker H&R | Birmingham, 1946–47

One letter engraved on it, for the one person whose place it marked.

Serviette rings were once familiar objects at the dining table, sometimes engraved with initials to tell one person’s napkin from another. This ring was assayed in Birmingham in 1946–47, soon after the Second World War.

The ring is a plain cylinder with a raised, rounded rim at each edge. The front is engraved with a script letter “L”. The hallmarks are struck in a row near the lower edge.

Very good condition. Fine surface scratches from everyday use.

Key Details

• Maker’s mark: H&R
• Assay office: Birmingham
• Date: 1946–47 (date letter W)
• Marks: maker’s mark “H&R”, lion passant, anchor, date letter W
• Material: sterling silver
• Engraving: script initial “L”
• Dimensions: height 3.2 cm; diameter 5.5 cm
• Weight: 18 g
• Condition: very good
• Buyer profile: anyone with the initial L, and collectors of British hallmarked silver

Collector Appeal

Fully hallmarked in Birmingham, with a single engraved initial that gives a plain form its personal character, it suits a collection of table silver as well as everyday use.

At some tables, a single letter was all that was needed to know whose place was whose.