These tongs are simple straight sided bright cut engraved tongs with a lovely repeated pattern down the arms. The proportions are just slightly different to most London tongs of this period, not quite tapering as much as most.They are dated c1780 - 1784. The hallmarks are in the bowls and the maker's mark has been overstruck. This is a feature of all the tongs by Pratt & Humphreys, suggesting that they did not actually make them but bought them from another maker.