Silver previews
The term ‘duty dodgers’ is applied to pieces that were not sent for assay during the period 1720-58 when a steep tax was placed on silver. Silversmiths had a variety of methods of escaping this tax – including transposing marks from small articles to large or overstriking marks from older pieces.
In today’s market these pieces are illegal to sell unless submitted to the Antique Plate Committee at Goldsmiths Hall for assessment and extra marking. However, less nefarious ways of ‘duty dodging’ in the Georgian period were evident, that although illegal at the time, are legal to sell today. Specialist John Rogers, head of silver at Chiswick Auctions, will offer three of these, all made in London, in his October 23 sale.