Antique Liquor Tag
These antique liquor tags, also known as decanter labels, identify your spirits with timeless metalwork and peerless character.
Antique Liquor Tag
An antique liquor tag is a small identifier hung around the neck of a decanter to name its contents, protecting guests from mistaking gin for brandy. You are looking at pieces that span from the eighteenth century through the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian eras, right up to mid-century designs.
The most common versions met on this page are Georgian and Victorian silver labels, often stamped with names like Sherry, Madeira, or Brandy. They appear as single items or matching sets complete with their original silver chains.
Makers ranged from specialist female silversmiths to major firms like Tiffany, working across London, Edinburgh, and Birmingham. Each label reflects the social rituals of its period, marking out the contents of the decanter with precise lettering.
Silver and enamel
These items are shaped primarily from sterling silver or solid silver, hammered, pierced, or cast into vine-leaf, scroll, and escutcheon forms. Metalsmiths utilised traditional silversmithing techniques to cut the titles directly into the metal or stamp them in high relief.
Later mid-century examples introduce enamel work to colour the lettering or background, contrasting against the polished silver body. Many retain their delicate silver link chains used to secure the tag around the decanter neck.
Antique Liquor Tag Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for liquor tag among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Early silversmiths occasionally spelt spirits with delightful phonetic creative license.
Craftsmanship and distinction
Quality rests in the crispness of the piercing, the weight of the solid silver, and the clarity of the maker marks and hallmarks. Superior examples show deeply chased rococo revival scrolls or finely engraved lettering rather than plain pressed metal.
The distinction between ordinary production and finer work also lies in the individuality of the title, with unusual spirits or named makers elevating a piece. Matching sets that survive intact demonstrate a higher level of original commissioning.
William Barrett II·Elizabeth Morley·Tiffany
The Antique Liquor Tag Glossary
- Decanter label
- A small metal tag hung from a decanter by a chain to identify the wine or spirit inside. These are also frequently called liquor tags or wine labels.
- Hallmark
- A set of official stamps struck into precious metals to guarantee their purity and show the assay office, date letter, and maker. British silver hallmarks provide exact dating for Georgian and Victorian pieces.
- Piercing
- A decorative technique where metal is cut through to create openwork patterns such as vines, grapes, or geometric borders. It requires steady hand-sawing and careful filing.
- Solid silver
- Metal composed of standard sterling fineness throughout, as opposed to plated wares. The listings here comprise solid silver and sterling pieces.
- Rococo Revival
- A nineteenth-century style drawing on eighteenth-century French design, featuring exuberant C-scrolls, asymmetric cartouches, and naturalistic foliage. This style appears frequently on Victorian labels.
Antique Liquor Tag: Frequently Asked Questions
What is an antique liquor tag?
An antique liquor tag is a small piece of silver hung by a chain around the neck of a decanter. It serves to name the specific spirit or wine held within the vessel.
These items date from the eighteenth century onwards and were made in various shapes, including scrolls, shields, and vine leaves.
How do I date a silver label?
You date a silver label by examining the hallmarks stamped into the metal, which indicate the assay office, the maker, and the year of production. British pieces often feature a king's head or a date letter corresponding to reigns such as George III or Queen Victoria.
Stylistic clues like rococo revival scrolls or mid-century enamel also help narrow down the period.
What spirits do labels name?
Labels commonly name traditional fortified and distilled drinks such as Sherry, Madeira, Brandy, Gin, and Rum. Some bear unusual titles or are left blank for variable contents.
The lettering is typically punched, engraved, or cast in raised relief against the silver background.
How do I hang them on decanters?
They hang using fine silver link chains attached to the top loops of the label, resting around the narrow neck of the decanter. This allows the tag to dangle freely just below the stopper.
Matching sets ensure a uniform appearance when multiple decanters sit together on a tray.