As of 2000, the Somerset House has become the permanent home for the Gilbert Collection of decorative arts, one of the most important bequests ever made to England. Sir Arthur Gilbert made his gift of gold snuffboxes, mosaics, gold, and silver to the nation in 1996, at which time the value was estimated at £75 million. The collection of some 800 objects in each of three fields (gold and silver, mosaics, and gold snuffboxes) is among the most distinguished in the world. Arguably, the silver collection here is even better than the one at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The array of mosaics is among the most comprehensive ever gathered, with Roman and Florentine examples dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The gold and silver collection has exceptional breadth, ranging from the 15th to the 19th centuries, and spanning the world from India to South America. The collection is strong in masterpieces of great 18th-century silversmiths, such as Paul de Lamerie. Such exhibits as the Maharajah pieces, the "Gold Crown," and Catherine the Great's Royal Gates are fabulous. The collection of gold snuffboxes is one of the best in the world, with some 200 examples, including some that were owned by Louis XV or Napoleon.