What spirits do these labels name?

Labels commonly name traditional drinks such as port, sherry, madeira, claret, rum and brandy. Rarer examples identify hock, moselle, bucellas, calcavella and lisbon. Makers engraved these titles directly onto the face, sometimes leaving blank shields for personal engraving.

How do I date a silver label?

Dating relies on the stamped hallmarks showing the assay office, date letter and sovereign's head duty mark. Stylistic shifts from plain shields to Rococo vine leaves also indicate the period. Georgian examples span the late eighteenth century through the reign of George IV and William IV.

Matched sets of multiple labels appear occasionally in the records, such as groups of three or four sharing a unified design. Single labels remain the standard format for buyers. Sets typically identify different contents while maintaining identical maker marks and silver styles.