George II Silver Duty Dodger Octagonal Teapot
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A George II sterling silver 'Duty Dodger' octagonal bullet teapot by Thomas Farren, London, 1728, 13 cm high, total weight of silver 515gms, note, the term 'Duty Dodger' refers to a silver item with transposed silver marks. The marks are soldered on from a smaller taxed object so that the silversmith could avoid paying the full amount of tax to the hall. This is indicated by the lack of a makers mark to the base of the teapot, and a set of marks too close to the hinge of the lid, suggesting they were before the hinge was attached, rather than after by the assay office. Duty dodgers are in violation of the Hallmarking Act of 1973, and therefore cannot be sold in the UK without the marks being crossed out.
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- Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
- George Ii - George II (1683 - 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1727 until his death in 1760.
- Assay / Assayed - Assaying is the testing of a metal, most commonly silver and gold to determine its ingredients and quality. In Britain, once an item of silver or gold has been assayed, a mark is stamped on it, certifying its purity. Known as hallmark, it derives its name from the Guild Hall of the Goldsmiths' Company, who recieved its Charter in 1327 giving it the power to assay and mark articles of gold and silver.
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