The silver tankard is a cylindrical drinking vessel with a handle, a thumb rest and quite often a hinged lid, which stems from the Renaissance and is widely considered to be a typical German object. The bourgeoisie used the antique silver tankards for the consumption of beer. Furthermore, the tankard found a considerable place as an object of splendor in princely art collections and cabinets of curiosities. Additionally, the tankard was often offered as a gift of marriage. Small and beautiful antique silver tankards date to the Renaissance. A type which was very beloved and prominent in Germany and the German-speaking countries is the coin-tankard, a silver tankard with inset coins.
