Maker : England’s iconic china company Royal Crown Derby produced this lovely, rare and heavily gold encrusted antique cup and saucer set. Marks and age : The Royal Crown Derby mark on the reverse of both pieces – with “Royal Crown Derby” in red in an arc above the crown – came into use in 1891. The company began to add the word England to the mark that same year. It does not appear on this cup and saucer, making 1891 the likely year that the set was produced. Source: Royal Crown Derby website. The English pattern registration number on both pieces indicates that the pattern was registered in 1889. The red mark of Davis Collamore, a high-end New York retailer of fine porcelain and crystal at the turn of the last century, also appears. Design : The thin and translucent porcelain cup and saucer are richly encrusted in gold, with raised flowers and delicate beading against a background of pure white porcelain. Dark brown flowers are scattered throughout. The cup’s rope handle and raised panels add an additional touch of distinction. Condition : Both pieces are in excellent condition for their age with no marks, nicks, chips, cracks, scratches, stains, crazing, repairs or wear. There is a bit of faint discoloration at the bottom of the cup interior – it can be seen in the photos. Several spots of gold paint are on the edges of two panels – they were created in the manufacturing process and are shown in the photos with the red arrows. Size : The saucer is 5 3/8 inches wide and 1 1/8 inches deep. The cup is 3 3/8 inches wide and 2 inches tall. The set weighs 7.3 ounces. Please check all the photos very carefully – they are an important part of the description.