Polly's Parlour — Engraved Silver Plaque of Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth. 1858-99

Engraved silver plaque — Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth, circa 1858-99.  34 mm. 

The engraved oval-shaped silver plaque that was discovered a couple of days ago has turned out to be very interesting. As you can see by the inscription at the top, the scene is of 'Britannia Pier' which is located in Great Yarmouth on the Norfolk coast. The pier opened to the public in 1858, was reduced in length by a ship collision one year later and was storm damaged in 1869. It was finally demolished in 1899 and its replacement built 1900. This later pier suffered a sequence of catastrophic fires - on no less than four occasions destroying the successive grand pavilions and ballrooms. This is a pier with a chequered history, however, it still remains in Yarmouth to this day. 

The plaque is a scene of the original pier and so it dates between 1858 and 1899. It compares very well to a contemporary photograph taken from a similar viewpoint (above) and may predate it because the gaslamp was not depicted with its surrounding ring of iron railing (and nor with its cap!). 

This is not by the hand of a trained artist but rather an amateur enthusiast or a perhaps a Yarmouth souvenir maker. Albeit naive, it is nevertheless charming. I think there may be two figures depicted and if so then the one in the foreground even seems to have its own shadow. There are also a series of feint gridlike striations in the background that may have been an attempt at depicting a ship's rigging, but may simply be damage incurred in use. It's hard to tell. 

Also, it is worth mentioning that the plaque blank itself was crudely fashioned because it is covered in small indentations and seems to have been formed by hammering. I do not think it was engraved upon a piece of manufactured sheet silver - perhaps a worn sixpence or shilling was pressed into service for the piece? And what is it from? At this moment I do not know exactly but I reckon it hails from a small wooden box or pocket case and was held in place with probably a mastic because there are no signs of attachment upon the reverse side. 

However, the find is only a couple of days out of the ground. Time will tell!