Monograms

English sterling silver and whalebone Toddy ladle, c.1770. A nice Toddy ladle with a 1762 1/4 Guinea Love Token gold coin mounted in the center of the cauldron shaped bowl. The back of the strap handle is monogrammed in period block letters: B over W*S. The twist handle is in excellent condition, with the original silver tip present. There is the ubiquitous old repair where the handle mounts to the bowl. The 1/4 Guinea is a scarce gold coin, only being minted in 1718 and 1762 and was valued at the time @ 5 Shillings and 3 Pence. 5s 3d from 1762 is worth £30.60 using the retail price index £417.00 using average earnings. This interesting Toddy ladle is 13 1/2" long and weighs 42 grams or 1.4 ozs. Troy.