Posted 8 years ago
francine60
(5 items)
One of my favourite and still well used things a Georgian silver nutmeg grater. These were carried around in the pocket and nutmeg was grated into almost every drink and dish with the belief nutmeg had many medicinal purposes.
English silver, this item is quite rare.
How has this not come back into fashion ? I can imagine a whole crowd of hip people sprinkling nutmeg on everything.
You are right rockbat, I love freshly grated nutmeg on rice pudding, warm milk or frothy coffee. Someone needs to make a modern version of the pocket nutmeg grater and we can grate and sprinkle to our hearts content. I daren't take this one out in my pocket though, it has a high value for a tiny item.
Can you show us marks on silver,please? Both parts should be marked, by the way.
I have managed to capture one of the marks Ivan, the ones in the other side are faint and the camera is blurring them, but I can make out a lion and another SM mark, there is another mark might be a C or an O. We have had this piece looked at and have been told it is a Samuel Meriton nutmeg grater.
Nutmeg contains a compund that can cause hallucinogenic effects, so maybe they were onto something! I think you have to ingest huuuuge amounts however.
A very nice silver grater.
A lion passant mark, I suppose. SM can stand for Samuel Meriton who worked in London in the second half 18th century. Letter C or O in the cartouche should be date letter. Assay office mark for London should be ``leopard`s head crowned``. Use this link to compare marks. It`s easier when you know what you are searching for.
http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/London.html
Regards
Love, love and love this!!!!! A silver nutmeg grater has been on my "want" list for years!!!! As you say, quite rare and very expensive!!!