4 Salt Cellars + Salt holder with liner and spoon, Deakin, Chester, 1897

4 salt cellars and a salt pot with spoon made by the renowned silver and cutlery factory James Deakin & Sons from Sheffield, England. The hallmark "JD WD" (often also read as James & William Deakin) specifically stands for the partnership between the sons John Deakin and William Pitchford Deakin.

The company was founded in 1866 by James Deakin at Sidney Works in Sheffield. Their very first official silver hallmark was registered in January 1878 with the letters "JD" over "WD" in a shield. This referred to the collaboration between James and his son William. Later variations (often horizontally next to each other as JDWD or JD&S) referred to the brothers John and William Deakin who later took over the company.

Antique salt cellars from Sheffield & Chester were often fitted with a blue glass liner at the time. This blue glass had a practical function: it protected the silver from the corrosion and discolouration caused by the sodium chloride in table salt.

The silver is hallmarked with maker's mark JD WD, city mark Chester, year letter O for 1897 and the Lion passant as the sterling silver mark.

The set is in good condition.

Silver weight: 185.4 grams. Dimensions of bowls: 4.5 x 6.5 x 9 cm.