Victorian Sterling Silver Open Salt, Thomas Prime & Son, Birmingham, 1879

This is a good quality mid-Victorian Sterling Silver Open Salt. The salt is a hemisphere standing on three ball feet with a subtly beaded rim. It is unusually plain for this era & has no initials or personalisation of any kind, meaning it will fit in well on any style of dining table. The salt is made in Birmingham by Thomas Prime & Son & dates to 1879. Founded around 1860 in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter, the firm remained in business up until the end of the 19th century producing fine quality tableware & flatware. Condition is extremely good with no dings or dents, virtually no salt corrosion & only the superficial surface wear that has to be expected after over 140 years of use. Please make sure to view all the photographs. The salt is 5.3cm / 2.1ins in diameter, stands 3cm / 1.2ins high & weighs a very respectable 38.1g / 1.3oz of solid Sterling Silver. The hallmarks, on the side of the body, are well struck & clear to read. They show the lion passant for Sterling Silver, the anchor assay mark for Birmingham, the Gothic date letter e for 1879, the Queen Victoria duty mark & the T.P & S makers’ mark for Thomas Prime & Son. Victorian Sterling Silver Open Salt, Thomas Prime & Son, Birmingham, 1879