Silver tankard

Augustin Float was a Gateshead silversmith. This rare William and Mary tankard and cover of plain cylindrical form has a scroll handle applied with foliage cut-card work with tapering rat to the body. The raised cover has a corkscrew thumbpiece. The tankard is engraved with the Reid coat-of-arms in a baroque cartouche and has the initials TAR, probably those of Thomas A. Reid, its first owner, on the handle. It is one of only about six known examples of Float's work and an important addition to the Laing's collection of local silver.