Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice pewter pewter small dish, or possibly a saucer, measuring 4 5/8″ in diameter. It is clearly marked H-M-S MARS 1794 on the top, indicating service on the well-known vessel during the Napoleonic Wars. Given the extremely small bowl portion of the dish, we assume it was for small portions or sides, or possibly just a saucer to go under a drink.
The rear is marked LONDON in an ark, but it also has “Thistle” Assay marks from Scotland, as well as a CROWN / X proof mark. Pewter marks in Britain are some what confusing, however in general the “Crowned Rose” was used England, while a “Crowned Hammer” and after the 17th century a “Thistle” was used in Scotland to denote the same quality. The Crown / X mark indicates that the dish is “Hard Metal” ware, an alloy of ten parts of tin to one of lead. This is the correct marking for this era and type of flatware.
A very nice Napoleonic Wars Era saucer or small plate, offered in fine condition and ready to display!
History of the H.M.S. Mars-
HMS Mars was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 25 October 1794 at Deptford Dockyard.
In the early part of the French Revolutionary Wars she was assigned to the Channel…
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