UNMARKED, CIRCA 1600

This very personal piece of plate, intended to be carried on the person, would have contained a number of coins or gaming counters, disks often stamped or engraved with portraits of English monarchs. Elizabeth I examples are much rarer than 17th century examples. One other surviving box, which belonged to Sir John Fortescue (d.1607), with similar scrolling foliage decoration, can be dated to the late 16th century on account of the coats-of-arms which are engraved on both ends. The arms are in place of the charming flower head and initials found on the present lot. Even later counter boxes were rarely marked. In his book, Silver Boxes, London, 1968, pp. 16-18, Eric Delieb devotes several paragraphs to 17th century counter boxes, observing that they usually contained between 20 and 37 counters. Four such counter boxes can be found in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated in Philippa Glanville's, Silver in Tudor and Early Stuart England, London, 1990, pp. 480-438, cat. nos. 116-120. Four were also exhibited as part of the Robert Napier Collection published by J. C. Robinson in his Catalogue of the Works of Art forming the Collection of Robert Napier of West Shadon, Dumbartonshire, London, p. 97, nos. 1166-1169. Another of circa 1631 was illustrated by Vanessa Brett in, The Sotheby's Directory of Silver, 1600-1940, London, p. 124, fig. 124.