I have dated the tongs at c1770. They are another pair of high quality cast sugar tongs. There are no breaks or repairs on these. The only slight flaw is the stress damage where the maker's mark was struck a bit too heavily. Notice how the betrothal monogram "I over IM" is engraved on the shoulder. The buyer presumably wanted to keep the rose at the apex of the bow. The rose and leaf engraved pattern is quite typical of these types of tongs.

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