Lidded Box - Crown on Cushion

Base: 3 7/8 inch square, Diameter of Lid: 3 1/2 inch; Height: 3 3/4 inch

This box is clearly of an interesting and complex design. The base is formed as a cushion on a four-footed support, with a central cylindrical box rising from the centre of the cushion. The lid is a jewelled crown with finial. There are fleur-de-lis motifs around the side of the crown.

Looking closely at the image of the base, you may spot something a little odd. Ask any well-versed glass collector which Class applied for Registration Details pertaining to glass and they will say, "III". But this particular piece has Class "I" in its lozenge, which was the category allocated to metalwork.

The date depicted by the Registration Lozenge is: January 14, 1844 ("W" at top, "C" at left, "14" at right) and the parcel number is 8.

So - this looks like a case of somebody using a metalwork mould to produce glassware. But was this item genuinely made at around the registration date, with an "incorrect" mould being used, or was it a later item made from an early, conveniently found metalwork mould?