Vintage Spirit Tag
These vintage spirit tags identify your decanted bottles with polished silver and clear lettering.
Vintage Spirit Tag
A vintage spirit tag identifies the contents of decanted bottles, hanging from the neck on a matching chain. When you search for a vintage spirit tag, you are looking at small silver markers spanning the Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, and mid-century periods. These pieces range from plain traditional designs to mid-century silver and enamel versions made in Birmingham.
How they were made
Makers shaped these silver markers using traditional metalworking techniques, cutting sheet metal and piercing titles by hand or with early mechanical presses. Artisans applied bright cut engraving and chased borders to define the perimeter, often adding suspended chains for hanging around the bottle neck.
Later mid-century pieces introduced colourful enamel work alongside sterling silver, combining fired vitreous glass with polished metal. Hallmarks stamped directly into the reverse record the assay office, such as Birmingham, and the standard of silver used.
Vintage Spirit Tag Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for vintage spirit 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.
Gin labels remind us that ancestors liked their juniper spirits clearly separated from the sherry.
What varies in quality
The distinction between ordinary and superior pieces rests upon the crispness of the piercing, the weight of the solid silver, and the presence of clear hallmarks. Finer examples display deeper engraving and better-balanced proportions, rather than thin pressed metal that bends easily in the hand.
Complete sets of matching labels and pieces bearing named makers like Mappin and Webb or Tiffany sit at the higher end of the range. Items featuring unusual spirit titles or coloured enamel also demonstrate greater workshop ambition than standard mass-produced variants.
Tiffany·Mappin And Webb
The Vintage Spirit Tag Glossary
- Decanter label
- A small metal tag hung around the neck of a decanter to name the beverage inside. Also known historically as a bottle ticket.
- Sterling silver
- An alloy of silver containing 92.5 percent pure silver and 7.5 percent other metals, usually copper, ensuring durability for daily use.
- Georgian Regency
- A stylistic transition period bridging the late Georgian era and the reign of George IV, marked by classical restraint and refined proportions.
- Scottish provincial
- Silver items manufactured and hallmarked outside the main assay offices of Edinburgh and Glasgow, often originating in regional burths by local silversmiths.
- Enamel
- A durable coloured substance made by fusing powdered glass to a metal substrate at high temperature, seen on mid-century examples.
Vintage Spirit Tag: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a vintage spirit tag?
A vintage spirit tag is a small hanging label made from silver or enamel, designed to sit around the neck of a decanter.
They display the name of a specific drink so guests can identify the contents without lifting the stopper.
How do I hang a spirit tag?
Most spirit tags attach to a fine metal chain that slips easily over the neck of standard glass decanters.
Ensure the chain hangs loosely enough to rest against the shoulder of the bottle without pulling tight.
How do I date a silver label?
You can date a silver label by examining the stamped hallmarks for assay office symbols, date letters, and maker marks.
Stylistic clues like Georgian piercing or mid-century enamel also indicate the era of manufacture.
Can I use them on modern decanters?
These labels suit both antique and modern glassware, provided the neck circumference matches the length of the chain.
They add a traditional decorative touch to any contemporary bar setup.