Victorian sterling silver table snuff or biscuit box by Reid and Sons, Newcastle, 1870

This Victorian provincial sterling silver box, identified as a table snuff box or biscuit box, is of a rectangular form featuring rounded corners and a hinged lid.

The box is decorated with intricate engraved trailing foliate designs and decorative borders, complemented by beaded rims along the base. A distinct scalloped thumbpiece facilitates opening the hinged lid. The interior of the box is finished with gilding. A presentation inscription is prominently engraved on the lid, reading, “To Samuel Dorkin Esqr as a memento of the Donors Appreciation of a grateful act of kindness 1870”.

The object is fully marked on its base and on the interior of the lid, indicating its provincial origin from Newcastle. The box measures 13.3 centimeters in length and has a weight of 546 grams. It is preserved in its original fitted leather case, adding to its presentation as a significant piece of 19th-century English silver craftsmanship.