1794 Tea Caddy, Duke of Edinburgh provenance

We are pleased to offer this very rare Georgian silver tea caddy with provenance to the British Royal Family. This tea caddy is rectangular in form with cut corners and a slightly domed hinged cover. The four longest sides of the main octagonal compartment and hinged cover have a fabulous corrugated appearance which is a very rare form of chased decoration.

The cover is engraved with a wolf crest and the box has a good weight. A further point of interest with this tea caddy is the Royal provenance inscription which was engraved to the inside of the cover almost 100 years after manufacture - it reads "From H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh, July 26th 1891".

 Queen Victoria created the title of "Duke of Edinburgh" in 1866 for Prince Alfred (1844-1900), her second eldest son. Alfred held the title until he became the sovereign of the German Duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha in 1894, which he inherited after the death of his Uncle Ernest II (brother to Prince Albert). Alfred died six months before his mother in 1900.

 This is an expertly made box and bears clear hallmarks to the body and to the cover. However, despite the clarity of the distinctive "PJ" in a heart maker's mark we have as yet been unable to identify the silversmith. The condition is excellent throughout. An all round very interesting silver box – even without the engraving this is a fantastic piece, but the inscription provides extra interest and scope for further research