George III Bright-cut Silver Tea Caddy, 1783 by James Young

This is an outstanding Georgian silver tea caddy with superb decoration and both a crest and coat-of-arms engraved to the cartouches.

The tea caddy is oval in form and has a flush hinge to the top and a swing-hinged loop finial for opening the cover. The original lock remains, although there is no key, one could easily be made if required by a competent locksmith. The oval body is fabulously engraved with neoclassical floral swags and heraldry; a coat-of-arms is engraved to the front cartouche and a crest depicting an eagle with chicks on its eyrie to the reverse.

The underside displays the full set of hallmarks including the "IY" maker's mark for James Young, plus the original scrape mark by the assay office (to gain a small sample for testing the purity of silver) can still be seen.

This George III tea caddy remains in excellent condition with crisp decoration and clear hallmarks.