A matching series of silver-plated officer's mess napkin rings. Each is stamped W ⩚ D  - WD being an abbreviation for the UK’s War Department, and the arrow symbol denotes its military use. See  image. They are of a lovely simple band shape and weight, and we are selling them individually. Their simple design and clean lines denote their functionality, and make them a perfect addition to today’s table.

History

For those who collect or study the militaria of Britain and its Commonwealth nations there is one mark that links all items to military ownership and the British Empire, and that is the ‘broad arrow’. This is located on the inside of each napkin ring and designates its manufacture for the military. The Public Store Act of 1875 applied the arrow symbol to all metal objects supplied or issued by the War Office, and it can be found on metal boxes, flatware, musical instruments, medical tools, all manner of military equipment, and silver plated items supplied to the officer’s mess.

Diameter 4.5cm Height 3.5cm

Country of origin: UK

Date of manufacture: c.1950

Material: EPNS - electro-plated silver nickel

Condition: very good, with some very light scuffing, and a handful of tiny pitting dots inside the ring itself.