A rare and unique cast silver wine label, engraved with the name "Mulberry Wine", an unknown name which is not recorded in the master list of names on silver wine labels (Appendix 1, Wine Labels 1730-2003, page 385, which lists 2353 different names). Mulberry wine is generally a home made, so we imagine this label was specially commissioned. The label is curved rectangular shape, with central peak topped with the Royal crown, and beautiful applied lion supporters on each side. The label is lovely quality, quite heavy, a pleasure to hold. These wine labels were distributed by the wine merchants Saccone & Speed, as can be seen in the photograph of the advert (courtesy of www.steppeshillfarmantiques.com). The hallmarks are very clear, and include the coronation mark, and makers mark LGD for Leslie Durbin. Leslie Durbin was one of the most admired silversmiths of the 20th century, his silver is in the Royal collection, he was also honoured with a 1 man exhibition at the Goldsmiths hall entitled "50 Years of Silv...

A set of four silver "Gourmet" wine labels, for Brandy, Sherry, Port and Whisky. The labels feature a well dressed gourmet sitting at a well stocked table with knife and fork in hand tucking into a whole fish, he is surrounded by various food and drink, including a chicken, boar's head, ribs, jelly, wine bottles and mugs, with 2 fruit baskets either side. The gourmet's feet protrude from beneath the table, the hallmarks are between his feet. The labels are crescent shaped with the original chains intact, and as can be seen from the photos are well modelled, quite humorous with lots of detail. The label is a copy of an antique Belgium slot wine label circa 1814-31, depicted in the book "Wine Labels 1730 - 2003", figure 1308, page 344, described as "overwhelmingly self-indulgent gourmandise". The labels include maker's mark MWD in a wine bottle punch for Michael Wyard Druitt, who specialises in high quality handmade wine and decanter labels (see www.decanter-labels.com). Michael Druitt is an active membe...

A set of 4 cast silver and enamel wine labels, for Whisky, Brandy, Sherry and Gin. The labels are rectangular, with an attractive deeply chased scrolling border, the enamel is a deep Royal blue. These are cast, heavy labels, the quality is excellent, the original chains also have heavy links and are great quality. All 4 labels have clear hallmarks, they also have "Made in England" stamps. Turner and Simpson worked between 1912 and 1979 in the heart of the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, they were a large firm but still employed traditional methods. A fascinating series of 27 photographs by Janine Wiedel of the Turner & Simpson workers can be viewed at the following link, http://wiedel.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Jewellery-Quarter-Birmingham-UK-1970s.

A fabulous cast silver vine leaf wine label, pierced for Sherry, made by Benjamin Smith II for Rundell & Bridge. The label is single leaf, symmetrical in design, with textured finish, with a vine branch for attachment to the chain. The label is large and heavy, at 41 grammes one of the heaviest we have encountered. Most vine leaf labels are stamped from dies, and as such are much lighter. The book "Wine Labels 1730 -2003" notes that "Philip Rundell and Benjamin Smith III produced elegant cast symmetrical leaf labels" (page 90), and they depict a similar label, for Burgundy (fig 342, page 91), but with different vine stem design. The hallmarks are clear for 1832, no town mark is present. The makers mark BS in rectangular shield is clearly visible, but slightly obscured by the underlying texture of the leaf. This is mark 230 in Grimwade "London Goldsmiths" for Benjamin Smith II, different in shape and style from the marks used by Benjamin Smith III, his son, so at odds with quote from Wine Labels above. Benjami...

A Georgian silver wine label by Hester Bateman, engraved for Brandy. The label rectangular with a pierced fret dome, this neoclassical design originated in the Bateman studio, and was copied by others, including Susannah Barker and Hampston & Prince in York (Wine Labels 1730-2003, pages 174 and 234). The label has a zig zag feather edge border, raised eyelets, the piercing of the scrolls in the dome is lovely. The label has 2 hallmarks, both clearly struck, makers mark HB in script for Hester Bateman and lion passant. The absence of a duty mark enables us to date the label to before 1784 when the duty mark was introduced, this neoclassical design is thought to orininate around 1770 (Wine Labels page 50).

An interesting and rare silver wine label, in Art Nouveau style. The label is rectangular with canted corners, and has been pierced WHISKEY in Art Nouveau style, in a font that closely resembles the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Glasgow school. Whiskey spelt with an E indicates Irish whiskey, Scottish whisky is spelt without the E. The hallmarks are struck on the front of the label, and are very clear, including the W&H in flag punch, they worked between 1884 and 1960, when they were incorporated into Mappin & Webb. British Art Nouveau silver wine labels are rare, the book "Wine Labels 1730-2003" by John Salter, states that "perhaps surprisingly, there seems to have been no record of British Art Nouveau labels", further noting the "only Art Nouveau labels known are American and Continental". Note: we have a matching label for BRANDY S1849.

An interesting and rare silver wine label, in Art Nouveau style. The label is rectangular with canted corners, and has been pierced BRANDY in Art Nouveau style, in a font that closely resembles the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Glasgow school. The hallmarks are struck on the front of the label, and are very clear, including the W&H in flag punch, they worked between 1884 and 1960, when they were incorporated into Mappin & Webb. British Art Nouveau silver wine labels are rare, the book "Wine Labels 1730-2003" by John Salter, states that "perhaps surprisingly, there seems to have been no record of British Art Nouveau labels", further noting the "only Art Nouveau labels known are American and Continental". Note: we have a matching label for WHISKEY S1850.

A pair of Georgian silver wine labels, engraved for Gin and Rum, made by Thomas Phipps and Edward Robinson in 1792. The labels are rectangular but with very pronounced cut corners, which gives them an octagonal shape. They also have a double reeded border. Both are hand engraved, the Gin with incisions emphasizing the engraving and the Rum with black infill. Both labels have very clear hallmarks, makers mark T.P/E.R in indented puch, this mark was used by Phipps & Robinson between 1790 and 1805. The Georgian duty mark has excellent detail, the remaining marks are sterling lion passant and date letter r for 1792, no town mark is present. Rectangular wine labels remained pure rectangles for about 20 years until 1787, when cut corners started to appear. Phipps & Robinson, along with Hester Batemand and James Hyde, were leaders of the new style (Wine Labels 1730-2003, page 50). Phipps & Robinson were one of the best known firms in London for wine labels, known for their high quality of workmanship and innovative ...

An Irish silver wine label engraved CLARET, made by Benjamin Taitt in Dublin circa 1785. The label has a curved rectangular shape, with an attractive bright cut and wiggle work border, and original chain. This particular form of label is uniquely Irish, English examples of this type curved up, only Irish labels curve down. The Claret engraving is quirky, done by hand and rougher than London examples of the time. The hallmarks are excellent, and include makers mark BT in a serrated oblong, harp crowned in a irregular shaped punch (so pre 1786) and Hibernia in an oval punch (used before 1793). A very similar label, also by Taitt, is depicted in the book Wine Labels 1730-2003, pg 279, figure 927, for W-WINE, described as circa 1785-1790 so the dates match. The same book describes Taitt as "arguably the most innovative of Irish wine label makers, a particularly successful exponent of bright-cut engraving". He made the famous balloon label, only one of which is known, pg 82, and he worked between 1775 and 1800.

An interesting antique cast silver wine label, pierced for SHERRY, made by the Barnard family of silversmiths. This design is called the "Five Barred Gate", the 5 bars are surrounded by grapes, vines and tendrils. This label is of particular interest as it is upside-down, the central vine leaf is usually on top, here it is underneath. The label is quite balanced so it is not easy to see it is upside-down, so an easy mistake for the engraver who did the piercing and applied the chain to make. The five barred gate design was first produced circa 1820 by Emes & Barnard, it remained popular for 30 years, and was copied by a number of other silversmiths, including Reily & Storer (Wine Labels 1730-2003, page 35, Fig 37, where a Port label is displayed the correct way up, also page 156, F Champagne). A number of other examples, all the correct way up, can be seen on the Steppes Hill website (www.steppeshillfarmantiques.com), all by the Barnards, dating between 1823 and 1830. Another version of this label is depicted...

Two interesting pairs of sterling silver wine labels, we have grouped them together as they are almost identical in style and we believe they were made by the same maker. All the labels are kidney shaped, and have a double reeded border. The first pair are gilded, chains are also gilded, the chains are shorter on this pair. They are engraved "Tia Maria" and Mandarine", both names are unrecorded in the book "Wine Labels 1730-2003", although "Mandarinette" is recorded. The second pair are engraved "Chartreuse" and "Kirsch", the engraving has black fill, the chains are longer on this pair. All 4 labels are hallmarked "925" indicating sterling silver, no other marks are present.

A cast silver commemorative wine label engraved "RUM", made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. The label is curved rectangular shape, with central peak topped with the Royal crown, and beautiful applied lion supporters on each side. The label is lovely quality, quite heavy, a pleasure to hold. These wine labels were distributed by the wine merchants Saccone & Speed, as can be seen in the photograph of the advert (courtesy of www.steppeshillfarmantiques.com). The hallmarks are very clear, and include the coronation mark, and makers mark LGD for Leslie Durbin. Leslie Durbin was one of the most admired silversmiths of the 20th century, his silver is in the Royal collection, he was also honoured with a 1 man exhibition at the Goldsmiths hall entitled "50 Years of Silversmithing" in 1982. He produced the silver components for the Stalingrad Sword during WW II, he also designed British coinage. He apprenticed with Omar Ramsden, his students included Benney, Mellor and Robert Welsh. Durbin is a...

A pair of Georgian silver wine labels, engraved "Madeira" and "Teneriffe". They are rectangular in shape, with a reeded border, and are complete with their original chains. Both are fully hallmarked, with makers mark DH for Daniel Hockly, duty mark, lion passant and date letter P for 1810. Daniel Hockly is an interesting silversmith, he started his career in London, entering a mark as a smallworker in 1810, it seems he specialised in wine labels. In 1819 he boarded a ship with his family and sailed for the Cape Colony, as part of the wave of English settlers (now known as the 1820 Settlers). He continued working as a silversmith in the Cape, he is known to have worked in Grahamstown and Graaf Reinet. His most famous work is the staff of office made for Andries Waterboer, Chief of the Griquas (Heller, Cape Silver, pg 62). It is currently in the 1820 Settlers Memorial Museum (a picture can be seen in Cape Silver by Welz, pg 94). Hockly was born in 1787, he sailed for the Cape in the ship Chapman with his wife a...

A delightful associated pair of Madeira wine labels, with Bacchus masks amongst foliage. The labels were made 4 years apart, but obviously cast from the same mould, by the same maker. The hallmarks on both labels are very clear. The order of the hallmarks is the same, but different punches were used as they are different sizes. This design must have been popular for Willmore to have been producing it for at least a 4 year period. Note the slightly different chain fixture (one has an arm with single loop, the other 2 loops but no arm). One chain appears original, the other is a later replacement.

A Bateman silver Crescent shaped Port wine label, with armorial above engraved "PORT". The label has a double reeded edge, and 2 eyelets for connection to original chain. The label is quite small and dainty, and an elegant shape. The hallmarks are clear (duty mark, sterling lion and date letter t for 1794) but the makers mark is only partially struck on the edge of the label (very clear PB, and only tip of AB underneath visible). The Bateman family of silversmiths were the leading exponents of the crescent shaped wine label (Wine Labels 1730-2003, pg 62).

A Georgian silver wine label, with original engraving for Madeira, by the Phipps family of silversmiths, who have been described as one of the best known London firms producing labels (Wine Labels 1730-2003, page 168). The label is rectangular with fully rounded ends, and has a reeded border (note this is classified as a rectangular label rather than an oval label, which are more eye shaped (Wine labels page 51). The label has 2 holes for the suspensory rings connected to the original chain. The label is also engraved with original owners initials RB on the back just above the hallmarks. The hallmarks are very crisp and clear, they could not be better, the detail of hair on the duty mark and mane on the lion passant are clearly visible. The makers mark is interesting, TP over ER in quatrefoil punch, without pellets. This is an unregistered punch, not recorded in Grimwade (London Goldsmiths 1697-1837), Phipps and Robinson usual registered punch, similar but with clearly defined pellets, Grimwade 2891, used bet...

An Arts and Crafts silver wine label engraved WHISKEY, made by hand by the Guild of Handicraft, the Harts of Chipping Campden. The label is planished (hand hammered), is rectangular with rounded corners, and has an attractive hand engraved border of scrolls and dots. The Whiskey has been engraved by hand as well, the individual hammer strokes visible. The label has 2 eyelets on top, also hand made, and silver chain. The hallmarks are clear, including G of H makers mark.

A modern reproduction of a very famous silver wine label, the Leopard's Pelt originally made by Paul Storr in 1809. The label, which was made to commemorate the Queen's silver jubilee, has very good detail, and is a faithful reproduction of the original, complete with Leopard's pelt draped over the label, surrounded by vine leaves and bunches of grapes. It is engraved "Brandy", and has clear hallmarks, including the silver jubilee hallmark only used in 1977 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II. The label is die stamped, and has a silver chain. The original is described as "one of the classics of the period, derived from an element of the Warwick Vase" (Wine Labels 1730-2003, pg 164, pg 160 and 161 for images). Also quoting from the Wine Label, book, "The Lion's pelt detail on the Warwick Vase (marble vase discovered at Hadrian's villa in Tivoli in 1770) led to the famous Paul Storr label of this name" (pg 32, and figure 31). It is interesting that the book adds confusion by referring to bot...

A pair of Victorian silver vine leaf wine labels, pierced for Rum and Gin. The labels are single leaf symmetrical, with a textured front, these are die stamped labels. The hallmarks are clear on both labels.

Silver pierced vine leaf sherry label, made by the highly regarded Rawlings and Summers. The hallmarks, which are small but very clear, are on the front of the label. The chain appears original.