A John Stone, Exeter, Victorian Period, Sterling Silver Butter Serving Knife

Manufacturer - John Stone, New Bridge Street, Exeter

Date - 1858

Description - A crisp and substantial sterling silver fiddle‑pattern butter knife by John Stone of Exeter, dated 1858. The piece has a lovely weight and a clean, confident profile, typical of mid‑Victorian provincial silver.
The handle is engraved with bold ‘gift’ initials, suggesting the original giver wanted to leave absolutely no doubt as to who had presented it — a charming and rather human touch that adds personality to the piece.
Although designed as a butter knife, it’s wonderfully versatile at the table: ideal for cheese, cheese spreads, pâtés, terrines, jellies, and even meatloaf, making it both decorative and genuinely useful.
A delightful example of Exeter silver, full of character! meatloaf

Condition - This knife is in clean, good condition with little sign of use-related wear

Hallmark - This knife has clear hallmarks with cypher for John Stone and an Exeter date cypher for 1858

Dimensions - Knife length: 19.5cm
Weight - 47gm

Historic Context 1858:
* Queen Victoria began her 21st year as Monarch
* The year of the Great Stink when the river Thames became heavily polluted with sewage and waste. The public outcry forced the Government to take action - the construction of modern sewer system
* I. K. Brunel's SS Great Eastern, the largest ship built to date, is launched on the River Thames
* Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace announced their theory of evolution by natural selection read at the Linnean Society of London
* US President James Buchanan inaugurates the new trans-Atlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria