Sheffield Silver Sardine Tongs Dated 1901

Sheffield silver sardine tongs.

These solid silver tongs (925/1000) were used to serve tinned fish, a typical refinement of the period. Mastery of specialised utensils (lobster picks, sardine tongs, grape scissors) was part of Victorian/Edwardian etiquette, and it was frowned upon to touch food with your fingers.

There are four hallmarks: the ‘Crown’ for the place of manufacture in Sheffield.
The Lion passant, the official hallmark of English sterling silver (925/1000).
The letter-date ‘I’ indicates the exact year of manufacture and for Sheffield, which corresponds to 1901. A fourth hallmark with the letters ‘A&D’ corresponds to the hallmark of the manufacturer/master silversmith who made the tongs (probably Allen & Darwin).

Dimension: length 11.5 cm.

England datable 1901.