Rare Old c1780 Sheffield Fused Silverplate Lidded Tankard Stein Silvered Edge

Presented is a fabulous quality old Sheffield fused silverplate lidded tankard, dating to around the 1770s-1780s. The tankard is made in a classic form, with reeded bands of decoration around the foot, waist, and rim as well as a particularly nice spade-tipped handle. The lid has a prominent openwork thumbpiece with a beaded design. The underside is set with wood in a rich dark brown. Really a very handsome piece, not to mention its unusual set of hallmarks. This piece was retailed from S. J. Shrubsole in London in 1978 (per a receipt that came to us with the tankard) for £225, which converted and accounting for inflation is a much larger sum today, in the vicinity of $2100. The side of the tankard is stamped with a maker's mark of T.B. and a mark reading “silvered edge” (repeated twice). This indicates the piece is made with the old style of Sheffield construction where thick sterling silver is used to wrap around the edges and sometimes décor elements of a piece. This piece is in gre