A pair of George III silver gilt wine coasters, London, c.1808, Benjamin Smith II, of circular form, the pierced sides chased with fruiting vines to gilded bases engraved with coat of arms, 4cm dia., 7cm high The arms on the coasters are the quarterly arms of the family of Lechmere-Charlton of Hanley Castle in Worcestershire and Ludford in Herefordshire. Given the date of the hallmarks, the coasters were probably made for Edmund Lechmere Charlton, MP for Ludlow between 1835 and 1837. Edmund Lechmere Charlton was an eccentric character with a reputation for upsetting apple carts! He was once challenged to a duel for making unpopular remarks about Ludlow Borough Council and is said to have narrowly avoided a spell in Fleet Prison having written a 'scandalous' letter to a Master in Chancery in an attempt to swing a Court of Chancery decision in his favour! (With thanks to Clive Cheesman at the College of Arms for his help in identifying these arms) cf: For similar examples please see: a) Lot 29, Sotheby's, Return to Elegance: The Star Collection, October 2020 b) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 68.141.130, .131Please refer to department for condition report one felt underside deficient,