George III Silver Tea Tray with Heraldic Crest

• 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.
• Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
• Heraldic Decoration - Heraldic decoration on silver, glass, and porcelain refers to the use of coats of arms and other heraldic symbols as decorative motifs on these materials. Coats of arms were traditionally used to identify individuals, families, and institutions, and were often displayed on shields, banners, and other objects.
  
  The heraldic decoration typically takes the form of engraved or etched designs that incorporate coats of arms or other heraldic symbols. Heraldic decoration on silver, glass, and porcelain has a long history, dating back to the medieval period when coats of arms were first used. During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, heraldic decoration on decorative objects became increasingly elaborate and ornate, with finely detailed designs that often incorporated intricate scrollwork, mythological figures, and other decorative motifs.
  
  In the 18th and 19th centuries, heraldic decoration became particularly popular among the aristocracy and upper classes, who used these objects as symbols of their wealth and status.
• Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.
• George Iii - George III (1738 - 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Mewburn, John (London) - silver, maker or retailer 3
• trays, silver - silver, Georgian 243