George III pocket fruit knife prior to 1792

Description

This superb knife was made prior to 1792. It measures 3 1/8 inches closed and is made with thin brass liners, rounded iridescent mother-of-pearl scales carved with a flower pattern surrounding the four rivets on each scale. The banded silver bolsters are matched by a banded silver end cap. The rivets are micro-engraved. The back bar has a stepped gadroon pattern silver sleeve and the gadrooning extends to the spine of the blade. The solid silver blade has a wriggleworked border on both sides that is typical of the early 1790s. There are two hallmarks: a tri-cuspid George III duty mark and the lion passant. There is a crack across the reverse scale and a tiny nibble to the mother-of-pearl near the hinge edge of the face scale otherwise this splendid knife is in excellent condition.