Fine George III Hallmarked Silver & Ebony Desk Seal - GORHAM

Seal Description

A fine George III ebony, silver and bloodstone armorial desk seal, the ebony handle of flat-top barrel form with tapering stem to a banded silver collar and rectangular bloodstone matrix with rounded corners, well engraved with an armorial comprising shield with three stirrups with crest above of "a sword on point a garland of laurel, ppr" with ribbon as base for motto.

The arms are those of the GORHAM family, although it has not yet been possible to attribute this seal to any particular member of the family.  What is curious though is that the motto ribbon has not been engraved with the family motto - Ready and Faithful.

The seal is in excellent condition and the bloodstone matrix is of a paler colour than the majority of bloodstone usually found but has a most wonderful array of colours within its predominantly green background. The silver hallmarks show the seal was assayed in 1803 and the maker's mark GS TH is that of George Smith & Thomas Hayter of London (Hayter was Smith's son-in-law).

Seal Specification

Height:  100mm

Diameter of matrix:  24mmx28mm

Weight:  55g