Expert: Martin G Roberts - 9/24/2008

Question
Dear Martin,
I have two pewter tankards which I wish to find out more about.  I have put below the various marks thereon.
The larger one, I would say, would hold more than one pint and has the following markings:-
Chester spelt in a circle with a number 5 in the centre.  This is on the tankard in 3 places.
An oval containing a crown and the word IMPERIAL above and G & R to either side of the crown
The word Dixon & Son and the number 36 on the base.

The smaller one is about quarter of the size of the other.
It too has the Chester spelt in a circle with the number 5 in the centre.  This appears twice.
The oval as above.
The word Dixon & Son and the number 71 on the base.

Neither has a lid they are both, I believe, pewter.  Can you give me any more info?  Initial enquiries suggest they were around 1823 due to the changing name of the Dixon business over the centuries.  Any info you can provide would be of assistance together too with any idea of values.
Yours hopefully,
Jill


Answer
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Made in Sheffield, and made of Britannia metal, a pewter alloy used in fabricating from sheet rather than casting.

These are both measures, used for measuring quantities of liquor, rather than drinking vessels. This type is rather scarce, and collectable.

They conform to Imperial capacity, which was introduced in 1826, in the reign of George IV (hence GR), and are not later than 1829, when the Dixon & Son mark ceased to be used - that's a very narrow date range.

I suspect the larger one must be a pint - as it is Imperial, if larger than a pint it would usually have to be a quart, which is much larger. You can easily check using a kitchen measure, as the Imperial system is still in use and usually marked on such measures. The smaller one is probably a gill (quarter pint), but again you easily check that.

The Chester marks are capacity verification marks applied by local weights and measures inspectors in Cheshire (County Chester, rather than the town), in district 5, where they were in use, probably in a pub (sadly, the geographical extent of these districts does not seem to be recorded, so we cannot know in exactly what part of Cheshire they were used).

71 is just the pattern number.

This type of measure is very often seen in poor condition, or very worn. If in excellent condition, and assuming they are a pint and gill, then the pint would be around 50 pounds / 100 dollars; the gill around 40 pounds / 80 dollars.

If they are in excellent condition, I might be interested in buying them.

Martin
www.antique-metalware.co.uk