Red Port Silver Wine Label by James Phipps, 1780

Entering his first mark in 1754, James Phipps I was a top quality silversmith who later in his career specialised in making smallware such as wine labels. His family descendants went on to form one of the most important smallware London workshops under the guise of Phipps & Robinson.

This crescent-shaped silver wine label bears the scarce name RED PORT and is attractively engraved around the border with feather-edging. The label bears James Phipps' "IP" maker's mark twice and can be accurately dated from the style of the label and the pre-dating of the duty mark introduced in 1784 (he retired anyway in 1783). The label is in fine condition.