This pair of tongs is a pair of flared bright cut tongs. They are much more in the normal style for the period. They have the trefoil duty mark, dating them between 1797 and 1800. They are marked with the Lion Passant and maker's mark on one arm and the duty mark and town mark on the other arm. This is quite unusual. It would be more normal to see the maker's mark on one arm and the rest of the marks on the other.