Coasters

Popularised in the late 18th century, alongside decanting wine
Genuine Georgian examples are rare and high value
Prices partly shaped by a late-1980s wine-investment boom
Modern coasters sized to suit today’s bottles
Welsh slate base pairs available as an alternative to wood

Coasters emerged alongside a broader material culture around wine and drinking that developed at the end of the eighteenth century — decanting funnels, decanter labels, and wine coolers all became genuinely fashionable accessories around the same time, once decanting wine from the bottle became the done thing.

If you’re after a genuine Georgian coaster, expect to pay accordingly — they’re relatively rare, and prices reflect a wine-investment boom from the late 1980s as much as age alone. A modern coaster is the better choice if you want something sized reliably for today’s bottles rather than an antique one, and worth considering a slate-based pair if you’d like something other than the traditional wood.