Royal: A George III Silver Serving Dish From The Russian Imperial Volynsk Service, Maker's Mark Unclear, Probably John Carter, London, Circa 1774

Baron A. Foelkersam, Inventories of the Silver of the Court of His Imperial Highness, St. Petersburg, 1907, p. 257, under no. 50

Under Catherine the Great, Russia was divided in the mid 1770s into 11 provinces, a number which was increased to 40 by 1796. Governors were appointed by the Empress to each of the provinces and each was allocated a silver table service befitting his viceregal dignity. In all, four, possibly five, of these services were ordered from London, beginning in 1774 with one for the Province of Tver, followed by another for Volynsk; these cost not less than 125,000 roubels apiece.

This dish is included in the Volynsk service in Baron Foelkersam's inventory as one of a set of ten, with the combined weight given as 27 funts 91 zolotniks, approximately 368 oz. He notes of this service all but one pieces had the maker's mark obscured apart from one which had the mark of John Carter.