Two-handled cup with cover

The royal arms of Queen Anne adorn this cup, along with the crest of John Smith, who served as her Speaker of the House from 1705 to 1708. The nearly 100 ounces of silver used to make this piece are believed to have been awarded to Smith for fulfilling his governmental duties. After his death in 1723, Smith's heir had the silver remade into the latest style, but with earlier emblems of Smith and Queen Anne, a tradition of honoring one's ancestry that continued into the 19th century.