The Mackay Service Silver Gilt and Enamel Punch Cups

These remarkable and extremely rare silver-gilt and enamel punch cups were crafted by Tiffany & Co. as part of the fabled Mackay silver service. It was the largest, most ornate, and most famous silver service of all time. The fine champlevé enamel work on these cups features Mrs. Mackay’s Hungerford family coat-of-arms with a scroll below that includes the motto Et Dieu Mon Appui (And God my Support) and a Scottish thistle above in honor of her ancestors. All this is within a floral and arabesque motif. The monogram MLM stands for Marie Louise Mackay. These cups exemplify Tiffany’s superb craftsmanship. Completed and patented in 1878, the service consists of some 1250 pieces, which were designed by Edward C. Moore in a Near Eastern style. Each numbered cup is marked Tiffany & Co.

John W. Mackay was known as the “Bonanza King” because he made one of the greatest mining discoveries in history called the Comstock Lode in Virginia City, Nevada. It made Mackay and his partners among the richest men in America. His wife, Marie Louise, visited the mine in 1874. While there, she expressed a wish to have a “memorable thing” made of the silver from the mine. She settled on the idea of a dinner service. Thus, Mackay sent one-half ton of silver from his mines to Tiffany to create a silver service. It is estimated that 200 craftsmen worked on the service for two years for a total of more than one million man hours. In 1878, the Mackay service was displayed in the American Pavilion of the Paris Exposition, impressing the critics and helping Tiffany win a Grand Prix. The service then appeared at dazzling parties held at the opulent Mackay homes in Paris and London.