A large copper charger made by the Newton School of Metal Work to celebrate the coronation of George V in 1911.

This piece is a reminder that we were once a very patriotic nation and royal events were significant occasions. The quality of the repousse work on this piece is very high. As was typical at the time, the design is made up of elements of designs in the School’s archive. The border has thistles, roses and shamrocks to indicate the nations in the union – not sure what happened to Wales! The crown and the central monogram are modified versions of earlier coronation designs for Kind Edward VII from 1902.

It’s a piece which illustrates the skill level achieved by the School in the early 1900s. The design is most likely by John Williams but I cannot be certain of that.