A Georgian silver tablespoon in the Fiddle pattern, by perhaps the most famous of English goldsmiths, Paul Storr. The spoon is good quality, with a fatter extended drop, and a generous bowl size. The spoon also has an engraved family crest of a birds head above a tower, this has some wear but is still visible. The London hallmarks for 1819 are very clear, the makers mark PS in shaped punch is also clear but has some wear on the S. This is Paul Storr's 9th mark, with no dot between letters, with the punch outline more oval than circular, he registered this mark in 1817 (Paul Storr, 1781-1844, by N. Penzer, page 82). A crescent mark is also clearly visible next to the makers mark, this would have belonged to the journeyman who made the spoon in Storr's workshop. Penzer described Storr as "the last of the great goldsmiths", he worked between 1793 and 1838.

A Cape silver butter knife in the Fiddle pattern, with scimitar shaped blade, and reeded border across the top of the blade. The handle has original owners engraved initials in a fancy script, possibly JCLDLV. The knife has clear Cape silver hallmarks, makers mark W.M for William Moore, and Cape silver stub mark with 4 pseudo hallmarks, lion passant, date letter A, duty mark and leopard's head town mark - see our Cape Stub article in our articles section.

An interesting set of 6 Fancy back or Picture back sterling silver teaspoons, these are replicas or Georgian silver originals circa 1750 to 1770. Each spoon has a different die stamped bowl decoration, these 6 spoons are replicas of some of the rarest designs. They include: 1. Fleur de Lys, a stylized French lily used in heraldry. 2. Milkmaid in period garb, with yoke and 2 pails. 3. Galleon under full sail, with flags flying. 4. Basket of flowers. 5. Birdcage with bird on top under "I LOVE LIBERTY", commemorating the release of John Wilkes from unjust imprisonment. 6. Urn of flowers, with a Georgian garden urn filled with flowers. All 6 pictures are well struck in perfect condition, with no wear. All 6 spoons are also clearly hallmarked. Note - We have a similar set, also by Francis Howard but with 2 different pictures, see S 1710.

A lovely and practical pair of South African sterling silver ice tongs, made in 1997 by silversmith SM (as yet unidentified, all assistance welcome). The tongs have cast silver grips with 3 prongs, modelled as leaves rather than the more usual lion paw or chicken feet design, and are very practical for gripping ice cubes. The bow of the tongs is decorated with a cast silver bud, and the arms are quite long, longer than tongs used for sugar cubes. The quality is very pleasing, these ice tongs are a pleasure to use. The tongs have 4 hallmarks, all clearly visible, these include S925 sterling standard mark, springbok head for South Africa, in use since 1975, makers mark SM in shield and date letter X for 1997.

A Boer war antique silver vesta case, presented as a memento by General Sir Leslie Rundle, the Commander of the 8th Division of the South African Field Force. The vesta case is the usual rectangular shape, with spring hinged lid and gilded interior, and striker on the base, and a connecting ring so it could be attached to a fob chain. The case is good quality and in remarkably good condition, we think this was preserved by the owner and not used, many vesta cases of this period were well used and condition is often poor. The case is engraved on one side with a flag and "VIII" for 8th Division, the other side is engraved "S. AFRICA 1900 from L.R". The vesta case and lid are both clearly hallmarked for London 1900, and makers mark HBA for John Batson & Sons, who worked between 1851 and 1936, they were noted as "Army accoutrement makers" - source John Culme, Gold & Silversmiths, page 34. General Sir Leslie Rundle GCB, GCMG, GCVO, DSO (1856-1934) was a British Army General in the Boer War and First World War, whe...

A beautiful pair of French sterling silver salad servers in the Sceaux pattern, that carries the marks of 2 of France's greatest silversmiths - Christofle and Cardeilhac. The quality and weight of this pair is outstanding, they are a joy to use. They are the traditional shape, the fork has 3 fat tines, and both have a matched shaped cut-out where the bowls join the handles. They are double struck (pattern repeated on both sides), and they have not been engraved. The Sceaux pattern was produced by Christofle Cardeilhac between 1983 and 1999, it is similar to the classical Fiddle, Thread and Shell pattern. Cardeilhac produced a print advertisement aimed at the US market featuring the Sceaux pattern in 1983, with the tagline "Even in France only a few own Cardeilhac Sterling", this ad can be seen on Ebay. Both pieces are clearly hallmarked with 4 hallmarks in the bowls, these include 1. the Christofle makers mark (diamond punch, 3 stars with bee below, OC for Orfevre Christofle), 2. the Cardeilhac makers mark (c...

An Irish Georgian silver basting spoon, in the Fiddle pattern, with a wonderful engraved family crest of a unicorn, this engraving is very clear. The spoon is quite large, with a generous sized serving bowl. The unicorn engraved family crest can be described as "a unicorn's head, couped, maned and horned", this is the family crest of the Cunningham family (or Conyngham), we think the Irish part of the family used Conyngham, whilst their Scottish counterparts used Cunningham. The spoon has 4 hallmarks, the crowned harp, Hibernia (Dublin marks) and date letter I for 1805 are clear and well struck. We note the punch shape on these marks is cavetto, with indented corners, more usually seen in the 1820's with Dublin hallmarks, but the absence of the Duty mark confirms a date before 1807. The makers mark JP is clear, but is overstriking another mark that is no longer visible. John Power worked between 1792 and 1819, from Trinity Place, Dublin, his father and son were also silversmith.

A fabulous early Georgian Rococo shell shaped punch ladle, in the shape of a conch shell. The ladle is embossed and engraved in typical Rococo style with a bird (peacock?) eating fruit (grapes and a pear), alongside a brick chimney with flames? at the top, surrounded with scrolls, shells, flowers and leaves. The shape of the shell and quality of the embossing and engraving is very pleasing. The shell is connected to the silver handle base with cast silver scrolls at right angles to the shell, the handle itself is turned wooden handle. The ladle is held hanging vertically, the the shape of the shell and pouring lip makes it very practical to use. The base of the handle is engraved with original owners initials A over T.T. The ladle is hallmarked with London hallmarks for 1752, and makers marks PR for Philip Roker II (Grimwade mark 3754). As all 4 marks are struck on a curved surface they are all unevenly struck, clear on the right but slightly obscured on the left, all visible enough but the makers mark could ...

An interesting Scottish silver prize medallion, quite large in size, presented by Mr Smeaton's Institution in St Andrews. The front is engraved "Mr Smeaton's Institution St. Andrews July 1856", the back is engraved "To the best Essayist James Annandale". The medallion is circular, with a reeded rim, with a cast silver scroll for attachment to a chain. The medallion only has a makers mark which is clearly struck, M&C in a shaped shield for Mackay & Chisholm of Edinburgh. David James Smeaton ran a large private boarding school for about 80 boys in Abbey Park, St. Andrews, which was also described as an "Academy for young gentlemen". He was born in Fyfe in 1834, and is buried in Edinburgh. He fathered 12 children with his wife Elizabeth, his son Donald Smeaton was elected Liberal M.P. for Stirlingshire in 1906.

A Chinese Export (or China Trade silver) silver dessert spoon, in the Fiddle and Shell pattern, which is an attractive pattern. The spoon is single struck (shell on one side only), and has engraved owners initials NSL, this is beautifully engraved in an interlocking pattern. The hallmarks are clear, and include pseudo lion passant, pseudo crowned leopard head, very clear makers mark CU co-joined, and pseudo Georgian duty mark. Cutshing is a well known China Trade silversmith who worked in the 2nd quarter of the 19th century, he used at least 3 different makers mark (he also used CUT and CU not co-joined). The Fiddle and Shell pattern is rare, most English ones come from Newcastle or Scotland. No examples of this pattern are depicted in the book Chinese Export Silver, all the examples shown are the commoner Fiddle, Thread and Shell patten.

An interesting sterling silver Puritan spoon made by the celebrated Arts & Crafts jewellery designer and silversmith Amy Sandheim. This is a replica of a Commonwealth period (1649-1660) Puritan spoon, when the United Kingdom was run as a Republic under Oliver Cromwell, after the execution of King Charles I in 1649. The spoon has a plain rectangular stem and ovoid bowl, without adornment, reflecting the Puritanical nature of the period. The hallmarks are clear for London 1933, the AS makers mark is only lightly struck, but still clearly visible, with some scratch marks over the punch. Amy Sandheim worked between 1923 and 1943 from Notting Hill Gate, she is primarily remembered for her Arts & Crafts jewellery, where she was regarded as a pioneer, alongside Sibyl Dunlop and Dorrie Nossiter, She also made silver spoons in the Arts & Crafts style (see Artists Spoons by Simon Moore, pages 391-396), but was clearly also interested in 17th century styles.

An interesting sterling silver Presidential Mint Julep cup, made by Mark J. Scearce of Shelbyville, Kentucky during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is a copy of an early Kentucky silver mint julep cup, with beaded top and bottom borders, the cup is a substantial size and weight, the quality is very pleasing. This example has no engraving. The base is engraved "Mark J. Scearce, Shelbyville, Kentucky, Sterling", and has a Presidential eagle hallmark above the letters DDE, all the hallmarks are very clear. Scearce was fascinated by early coin silver mint julep cups, and started to produce these replica's during the Presidency of Harry Truman (1945-1953), they are still produced today, each with the eagle hallmark and initials of the current President. This cup has the initials DDE for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served between 1953 and 1961, so it is one of the earlier versions. As tradition goes, each new President receives one of these silver cups with their engraved initials, other famous r...

A very interesting Antique silver Slip-Top jam spoon, dating back to the Great War (World War I), which would have been sold exclusively by Harrod's. The spoon is a replica of an early 17th century slip top spoon, complete with a V shaped rat-tail, these spoons are also called "slipped in the stalk' and "slip-end" spoons. The slip top on this spoon almost resembles a screwdriver head, and could be used practically to open tin lids. The spoon bowl is egg shaped, we think it was originally intended for jam. The quality is very pleasing, you cannot resist picking up and using this spoon, we absolutely love it. The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark RB for Sir Richard Burbridge, 1st Baronet, who was the Managing Director of Harrods at the time. Harrods today still describes itself as "The World's Leading Department Store". The spoon date of 1915 is interesting, probably made just before silver and other valuable resources were directed at the war effort. An identical spoon is photographed in the book "A...

An Irish Provincial silver serving spoon made by Richard Garde of Cork, but hallmarked in Dublin in 1835. The spoon also has a rare retailers mark "R. CAVE", who is currently classified as unknown with location unknown, but as this mark has only been seen on silver by Richard Garde we can assume he was a Cork retailer. The spoon is Fiddle pattern with a Rat-tail, which is only seen on Irish silver during this period. The spoon is engraved with original owners initials WMC in script. The hallmarks are all very clear, the retailers mark could not be better. Given it's large size we have classified this spoon as a serving spoon, but it could have been a large tablespoon - it is certainly suitable for use as a serving spoon.

A Chinese Export silver teaspoon in the Fiddle pattern, with clear Chinese export pseudo hallmarks. The teaspoon is engraved with owners initials HH over P, the P appears much cruder than the HH, so we assume it was added earlier or later by a different engraver. The hallmarks include pseudo lion passant, pseudo crowned leopards head, pseudo date letter C (or possibly a makers mark for Cutshing) and pseudo duty mark. This mark is shown in the book Chinese Export Silver by Forbes (page 243 figure 215), where it is described as rare and unidentified, other authors have ascribed this mark as possibly Cutshing, who used a variety of different makers marks. Cutshing is "widely recognised as producing some of the finest silver from the early China Trade period (1785-1840)" - www.chinese-export-silver.com, article on Cutshing.

An interesting Hanau silver circular box, the lid an exact copy of a famous silver Dutch medallion of 1653 by Wouter Muller commemorating the death of Admiral Maarten Tromp. The lid has rich detail, a naval engagement with two Man-of War ships at close range, with an English ship sinking in the foreground, other ships in the background, all in high relief. The inscription around the edge reads :Waarom doet Muller Tromp door kunst van gout en silverleeven: om dat hy'd yzer eew door krygsdeugd heeft verdreven, obyt den. 10 aug: 1653", translated "Why does the art of Muller make Tromp live in gold and silver? Because his valour has removed from us the age of iron. Died 10 August 1653". The circular edge of the box is decorated with putti playing musical instruments, with birds (peacocks and owls), interspersed with blank oval cartouches. The interior is gilded, so it was possibly a snuff box, but could be used on a desk or dressing table for small items (ideal for cufflinks). The base is clearly hallmarked with ...

A sterling silver trophy spoon for the Bull-Terrier Club, which would have been commissioned by the club to present a more useful trophy than a medal. The spoon is teaspoon size, the quality and condition are excellent, the front of the bowl still has it's original gilding. The spoon has a well modelled bull-terrier, surrounded by "THE BULL-TERRIER CLUB". The hallmarks, which are struck in the front of the bowl, are very clear. The Bull-Terrier collar has initials BH, we assume the artist who designed the spoon. The Bull Terrier Club of the UK still exists today, it was founded in 1887, it's website describes it as the oldest and largest of it's type in the world. I doubt they still have such beautiful silver spoon trophies!

A Chinese Export silver dessert spoon in the Fiddle pattern, by a rare unidentified maker who used a letter E makers mark. The spoon has original owners engraved initial (I or Y) in Gothic script. The hallmarks are very clear, and include a very distinctive pseudo lion passant without tail, makers mark E with a very distinctive font, pseudo crowned leopard's head and pseudo duty mark. This mark is depicted in the book "Chinese Export Silver 1785-1885 by Forbes, page 244, figure 235, which are present on an egg set. The maker E worked in the 2nd quarter of the 19th century in Canton.

A rare Cape silver tablespoon in the Old English thread pattern, we have only noted 2 examples of Cape silver in this pattern in the body of literature. The spoon is the usual Old English shape, but with a double thread around the edge, this is double struck (occurs on the front and back of the spoon). The spoon is engraved with original owners initials IM in script. The spoon is hallmarked with makers mark IC, the mark is slightly blurred, we assume the punch was worn when it was struck. The spoon is also hallmarked with the "Cape Stub", 4 pseudo - English hallmarks (lion passant, date letter, duty mark and leopard's head) struck mechanically in a fly press (see article on Cape Stub in "The Finial, 2007, and in the articles tab above), these marks have some wear but are still clearly visible. We believe this spoon was made by hand, you can see differences in how the thread has been applied. Please note our condition report, this spoon has been well used. David Heller, in his book "History of Cape Silver Vol....

A set of 13 sterling silver Apostle spoons, with finials plated in 24 carat gold, authentic replicas of 15th century originals, inspired by sculptures on Chartres Cathedral, France. They include: The Master, St. Peter, St. John, St. Matthew, St. Andrew, St. Philip, St. Jude, St. James the Greater, St. James the Less, St. Matthias, St. Simon, St. Thomas, and St. Bartholomew. The Apostles are well modeled, with lovely detail, as can be seen from the photographs. For example, St. Peter has keys, St. Simon a saw, St Andrew a cross, St. Jude a carpenters square, and St. John the cup of sorrow. The spoons are from a set (no 129), issued by South African Guild of Silversmiths in 1978, limited to 2000 sets. The hallmarks are clear, and include maker mark for the South African Guild of Silversmiths, STG for Sterling silver, antelope head for South Africa, and date letter E for 1978. All the spoons have the Apostle's name engraved on the stem. They come complete with original signed certificate of authenticity, and t...