There are only 40 verified examples of a Jacobite Amen glass left in the world. These rare engraved drinking glasses were known to be passed around the members of the Jacobite movement in the 17th and 18th Centuries.
The last known glass to be auctioned was in 2012 as part of a private collection held by the late Edward V. Phillips, a retired corn merchant. The Lennoxlove Amen glass, made in the 1750s, was bought for £43,000.
The Jacobite Amen glasses were engraved with verses composed to encourage rebellion against certain kings. Members of the secret Jacobite societies would pass round the glass at meetings, drinking to the health of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Royal House of Stuart. After Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) was defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the Jacobite movement continued in secret, but the penalty was high if they were caught with articles like the Amen glass, and offenders often faced death or at the very least imprisonment.
The Jacobite Amen engraved glasses are highly sought after because of their romantic links to the past and revolutionary associations. It is believed that so few exist because of the rowdy nature of the toasts that the glasses were part of, as the Jacobites celebrated their cause with several drinks.
Here at H Cooper Glass Engravers, we have a reputation for outstanding quality that will help create a treasured keepsake for many years to come.