Pattern 1946

Pattern 1946 Spode bone china London shape Coffee Cups & Saucers.  This pattern dates to probably the end of c1812 but the London shape was launched by Josiah Spode II in 1813.  This pattern was famously made by Crown Derby Porcelain Works c1820 and is known as 'Kings' pattern.  It was immensely popular & I wouldn't be surprised if Derby was still producing this pattern 200+ years on from its English origins; which are of course many years after the design was first created & introduced in the Orient (either China or Japan).
You will notice that the two end coffee cups do not have a flower to their interior bases like the rest of the pieces.  These two cups have 'SPODE' & the pattern number '1946' in iron red on their bases but the rest of the service has just the pattern number '1946' & the same decorator's mark in red on their bases.  I suspect that the two coffee cups without internal flowers were extra pieces made a few years later because they are also fractionally bigger cups which are wider at their top rims. Perhaps the internal flowers were just forgotten & were a manufacturing mistake.  (The cups were switched about when photographing, in the first photograph above, the larger cup is second from the right).
The two slightly larger coffee cups at either ends are marked differently to the rest of the service & the execution of the hand-painted decoration is also slightly different.
These Spode London shape Coffee Cups only held approximately 4 fluid ounces (a fifth of a pint) or 100 mls so you would need several cups to quench your thirst. Surprisingly, the Spode London shape Tea Cups didn't really hold anymore liquid even though they appear to be larger.  The Spode Tea Cups were wider but shorter & more vulnerable to spillage & so you would not want to fill them quite as high.
Here are some of the Spode London shape matching Tea Cups & Saucers.  I have a set of 6 coffee cups, 6 tea cups & 12 saucers which is most unusual.  Normally only 6 saucers would have been sold with a set of 6 coffee cups & 6 tea cups. Tea & Coffee were not served at the same time so only 6 saucers were ever needed.  Four of the saucers are also marked with both 'SPODE' & '1946' with the others again just marked with '1946' so I think they are extra pieces perhaps purchased at a later date possibly c1820's or up to 1833.
Spode Tea Cups & Saucers all with interior decoration to the cups.
Spode pattern 1946 London shape Tea Cups & Saucers showing their pattern number '1946' in iron red enamel on their bases.  These are all in extremely good condition for their age and show very little wear to the gilding.
Josiah Spode II's pattern 1946 New Oval shape Sugar Box of c1812
The interior looks clean and the gilding is unworn
Unusually for this period the base of the Sugar Box does not bear the pattern number
Josiah Spode II's pattern 1946 London shape Slop Bowl c1813.  You will notice that the sides of this Slop Bowl are now angled to match the shape of the London cups.  If you prefer the rounded shape as I do, they are in very short supply and were only  produced from around c1800 until 1818 when the London shape took preference (apart from special replacement pieces which the factory would do to order). 
It is quite surprising how many different designs could be produced using just iron red & cobalt blue enamels together with rich gilding.
The interior is very clean and bright, & there is just a small section of gilt loss on the top rim
The pattern number '1946' & a decorator's mark in iron red enamel
A pattern 1946 Spode Large Saucer Dish (Bread & Butter Dish) measuring 8.25 inches or 21 cms in diameter.  This is the larger of the two dishes of this type which were included in a Tea Service.
Marked to its base with the pattern number '1946' & a decorator's mark.  These same decorator's marks are on most of the pieces (apart from 4 saucers & 2 coffee cups which I believe were purchased later).  This seems to imply that the same decorator worked on the whole service.
Pattern 1946 Spode Creamer of c1812, this is the only item in the service to show quite a lot of wear to the gilding & scratches to the bone china on the main body of the piece
The line you can see above which cuts through the gilt leaves of the red flower is not a crack, it is where the two halves of the creamer were sealed together & the gilt has worn on the ridge.  You can see the other line on the handle below.
The creamer handle is rather worn 
Interestingly I forgot to photograph the base of this piece and on inspection the pattern number is written faintly in gold so I think this is a piece that was made in 1812 but added to this service probably much later.  Perhaps the original creamer was broken at some point through use and a second-hand matching replacement was found. 
Here is the most unfortunate piece, sadly it has lost its spout.  It is a Spode Batchelor Teapot in pattern 1946 which measures only 4.25 inches tall and would only hold enough tea for one person (at a pinch, possibly two), which is why they were called Batchelor Teapots.  The original service would have been purchased with a regular sized Teapot but that has also disappeared.  
The only positive is that it is a clean break so hopefully it can be repaired.
I think the damage occurred soon after it was purchased because there is no sign of wear to the gilding on this teapot or any of the cups & saucers in this service.
What a shame!
This Batchelor Teapot does not have any marks to its base so perhaps it was purchased at a different time to the original service
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