Heavy antique French sterling silver 2 7/8" tall mint julep or wine cup, tumbler or "timbale", 96 grams with Art Deco style interlaced "MQ" monogram! Just over three troy ounces! This one bears the French Minerve or Minerva hallmark, the tiny number "1" in the upper right corner of that mark means it's in .950 silver (95% pure and above the .925 standard for "sterling" silver). The silversmith mark is for Louis Coignet, Paris circa 1889-1893.
"Timbale" is the French term for the stemless metal goblet or tumbler used for wine, (in our case, sterling silver). The noun feminine for it is tasse, which is more like a typical cup with handle. Demi-tasse is a half or small cup. In their time, these were used for wine at the table. Some speculate this form of drinking goblet is that after which the English term for 'thimble' evolved, the form or shape being that of the thimble for sewing. The goblet predates the sewing thimble, however. A long history is France, these are much sought after and bring a surprising price as many collect this particularly French wine goblet. The earlier, the better. I've seen them fetch upward of $1000, and even the more common silversmiths from 19th century are in the $400 range and above.
Very good condition, age considered. French sterling silver, this one is rather heavy and weighs 96 grams. Enlarged images from every angle show a small dent or two to the base and some light surface scuffing. See pictures for weight and measurements.
