Presentation Cup
Date1755
MediumCoin silver
Dimensions9 3/4 × 8 3/4 × 3 7/8 inches (24.8 × 22.2 × 9.8 cm)
MarkingsRetailer's and maker's marks stamped on the bottom: W. Wright; IR; IR
Credit LineGift of descendants of John Habersham.
Gift of Mrs. J. Hurst Purnell, Jr. of Baltimore, Maryland and Mrs. Robert W. Johnson III of Baltimore, Maryland in memory of their mother Mrs. Lillie Crisfield Dixon, Chesterton, Maryland, formerly of Savannah, Georgia.
Object numberOT1963.9.a-b
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextWilliam Wright (active in Savannah c. 1755 – c. 1774) first appears in Savannah around 1760, but he was living in the city before then for an unknown amount of time. He was in partnership with silversmith William Sime (active c. 1768–c. 1778) in the Savannah firm William & Sime. It is unknown when the partnership formed, but an advertisement in 1774 advertised its dissolution, with Sime carrying on the business himself. This presentation cup is attributed to the mark of silversmiths William Wright and John Ragnous. It is engraved “IOHANNES - HABERSHAM / M.DCC:LV” and was possibly meant to be a christening gift for John Habersham (1754–1799), son of the prominent merchant and politician James Habersham (1712–1775). Notably, the engraved date, “1755,” likely makes this one of the earliest known pieces of Georgia-made silver, manufactured just over twenty years after Georgia was established.
