Siver nutmeg grater & canister

A silver English nutmeg grater and canister c 1740. Nutmeg was incredibly expensive in the 18th century and was kept in secure items such as this to safe guard it. In 1760, the price of nutmeg in London was 85 to 90 shillings per pound, a price kept artificially high by the Dutch voluntarily burning full warehouses of nutmegs in Amsterdam. This piece is unmarked which was quite common amongst smaller items in England at the time. The grater section is contained within a silver flap and cap whilst at the other end is a compartment for the nutmeg. Engraved with the initials A & R and a coat of arms.

Dimensions: 9 cm x 2.5 cm