An Edwardian silver and enamel novelty vesta case, of circular form with hinged flip top lid and striker built into the base. The vesta has an applied enamel in silver rope border, featuring a pack of 8 English foxhounds, very attractively modelled with lovely colours. Vesta cases (also called matchsafes) were used to store vestas (early matches before safety matches were invested), they were very popular between 1890 and 1910.

A lovely antique silver and enamel vesta case, with an oval enamel plaque depicting a Beefeater (Yeoman Warder) of the Tower of London. The Beefeater is wearing Tudor State Dress, the colours are vibrant and the detail is good. The vesta case is rectangular, decorated with scrolling foliage, it has a safety suspension loop attached to the lid. The interior is gilded, this is a good quality case. The hallmarks are clear, including sword and wheatsheaves town mark for Chester. Charles Lyster & Son used the Chester assay office between 1899 and 1902, then switched to Spencer Street, Birmingham between 1903 and 1911 (perhaps linked to a change in location). The Yeoman Warders, commonly called Beefeaters, are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. They were established in 1485 as Royal Guards, the Beefeater name is thought to derive from the large ration of beef they were issued daily in court. They only wear the Tudor State Dress depicted on Royal occasions.

A Royal Sussex Regiment 15 carat gold and enamel sweetheart brooch, probably dating from the 1st World War, but possibly earlier (Anglo Boer War). The brooch consists of the Garter Star with Roussillon plume, red enamel cross, blue enamel motto "Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense", above blue enamel scroll "The Royal Sussex Rgt". The star and plume are white gold, which contrasts nicely with the yellow gold of the enamel and bar. The badge is mounted on a bar brooch with Y shaped safety clasp, the pin, hinge and clasp are all gold. Both the badge and bar are hallmarked 15CT for 15 carat gold, this standard of gold was discontinued by Britain in 1932, hence we can date this brooch to the Great War. The Royal Sussex Regiment was established in 1881, they saw service in the Anglo Boer War, World War I and World War II. They were amalgamated with other regiments in 1966. The brooch also has a old ring link at the top, so could also be worn as a pendant on a chain.

Beautifully made coffeepot with chased detail, a wooden handle and an ivory finial. Very fine maker, as evidenced by the royal warrant. Very clear hallmarks, (including lid) and "Garrards, Panton Street London" on base. It is interesting to note that even the securing nut that holds the finial in place is hallmarked - true quality!

A very worn late 17th century Lace Back Trefid spoon, of interest as is has some very rare features, so despite the poor condition of the spoon we have added it to our website. The spoon has a rounded terminal with no ears, sometimes called a spatula end, this is a feature of early Scottish trefid spoons, hence our tentative description as Scottish. The spoon has a reeded rat tail, the lace decoration on the front of the terminal is worn but distinct, the lace decoration on the back of the bowl is very worn, almost gone on one side of the bowl, with some features faintly visible on the other side. The spoon is engraved on the back with owners initials TK surrounded by arrows, this engraving is lovely. The front has another very faint set of scratched initials CS, also with arrow, only visible in strong light. The spoon has 3 partially struck or worn hallmarks, the first a crown above (leopard head?), the second possibly a date letter (C?), the third is just a squiggle. The book "Silver Spoons of Britain 1200...

An interesting pair of small circular dishes or pin trays, made by the most famous of all Birmingham silversmiths, Matthew Boulton. The dishes are plain except for a gadrooned border, the quality is excellent, surprisingly heavy for such small dishes. The condition is very pleasing, and there is no engraving. They are similar in shape to larger dinner plates, but with a deeper well, hence our description as dishes, we assume for a small delicacy like bon-bons, a modern version of this dish would be called a pin tray. The hallmarks on both dishes are clear, the MB makers mark has clear indentations to the punch above the M and below the B. One dish has date letter i for 1806, the second has date letter j for 1807, the earlier dish is 9 grams heavier, otherwise they are an identical pair, so we assume they were made by hand just as the date letter was changing. Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) took over his father's silver business at age 21, the first step in a remarkable career as one of the leading entrepreneurs ...

A rare and interesting pair of Irish Georgian silver Bright Cut tablespoons, engraved "Wicklow Reg", for the 37th Wicklow Regiment, part of the Irish Militia. The spoons are Old English in shape, with the traditional "Dublin Star" engraved at the top above the oval cartouche with the regimental engraving, and traditional bright cut engraving. One spoon is in good condition with one small dent, the second has small pinhead dents to the bowl, overall quite pleasing for Regimental silver spoons which often are in poor condition. One spoon has excellent hallmarks, the second spoon has clear makers mark and date letter but worn Irish marks, still visible (spoon with good hallmarks has the dents to bowl). John Shiels (or Sheils) had a long career between 1762 and 1790, given these spoons are 1797is is possible a son took over his punches. 38 Regiments of Irish Militia were established in 1793 (one from each county) after the outbreak of war with France, to free regular soldiers up and to control the Irish rebellion...

A Dutch antique silver miniature 6 light chandelier, (kaarsenkroon in Dutch) in the traditional form, with a globe under the candlestick holders intended to reflect the light of the candles. The globe holds six scrolling arms, with applied decorative loops, the sconces with 4 petals. The connecting hook has 3 segments, also with ball decoration, the bottom one fixed and the 2 upper segments have chain links. All 3 pieces of the connecting chain are hallmarked with the Dutch dagger, the chandelier itself is apparently unmarked. The Dutch dagger was used between 1814 and 1905, and indicates a minimum of 833 grade silver. Chandeliers of this form date back to the 17th century, they were also produced as Dutch silver miniatures in the 18th century (see similar example by Arnoldus van Geffen, "Tall and Small Antique Dutch Silver Miniatures, Aardewerk, page 48). Two other examples are depicted in the book "Nederlandse Zilveren Miniaturen, 17de en 18de Eeuw, John Endlich, page 49. They were also reproduced in the 19...

An antique silver cigarette case, presented to Captain and Adjutant W.P.E. Newbigging of the 1st Manchester Regiment in 1894. The case is rectangular, with a gilded interior, with a very good quality spring loaded clasp, which is still in perfect working order. The case is engraved "W.P.E. Newbigging, 1st Manchester Regiment" on the exterior, and is also engraved in script on the interior "Biggins, from T.T., 1894", we assume Biggins was his nickname. The hallmarks are very clear on both lid and base. Zimmermans (Arthur & John) worked from 1889 until their liquidation in 1929. William Patrick Eric Newbigging was an interesting character, born in Bengal, India in 1871, son of Lt. Colonel William Newbigging of the Manchester Regiment, so he followed his father's footsteps. He co-authored a book entitled "Rough Diary of the Doings of the 1st Battn. Manchester Regt. During the South African War 1899-1902", with Major Marden. He was severely wounded at Elandslaagte, leading the charge of the Manchesters, for whi...

A large silver lighthouse caster, retailed by James Robinson of Park Avenue, New York. The caster is the traditional lighthouse shape, a design that originated in the late 17th century. This is a replica of an earlier style, but extremely good quality and weight. It has attractive stylised cross and flower piercing, and scrolling cut card decoration on both the base and top (cut card decoration is an extra silver soldered plate, which adds weight and a pleasing decoration, a technique pioneered by the Huguenots circa 1700). The caster has the traditional bayonet locking mechanism, which securely holds the 2 pieces together. Both base and top have a gadrooned rim, which aids grip and also adds a nice decorative touch. The base is circular and spreading, which has preserved the hallmarks underneath. The caster also has a baluster finial, and a rib on the main body which also aids grip. In addition to the London hallmarks for 1959, the caster is stamped "James Robinson INC New York, Made in England". James Robin...

A cast silver reproduction of the Lady in Crinoline caddy spoon, originally made by John Figg in 1844. The spoon depicts a lady in a crinoline dress carrying a parasol, the bowl is a matt chased rocaille shell. Being cast, this is an extremely heavy caddy spoon at 42 grammes, it is superb quality. The original is a highly important and extremely rare caddy spoon, it is depicted in John Norie's Caddy spoon book (plate 10) and also in the book "Investing in Silver" by Eric Delieb, pg 31, where it is pictured and described as "the superb little lady in the crinoline of the chinoiserie revival period". A similar spoon was part of the John Norie collection of caddy spoons, sold as lot 99, part 1 (Woolley & Wallis, April 2004). The hallmarks are clear. Note - The Society of Caddy Spoon Collectors (http://www.caddyspoonsociety.org) has just published a very interesting article about this caddy spoon in it's October 2020 bulletin, entitled "Lady in a Crinoline". It states that in "1967 a rogue silversmith chanced his...

A Cape silver basting (or serving) spoon in the Fiddle pattern, by Willem Godfried Lotter, one of the members of the famous Lotter family of Cape silversmiths. The spoon is engraved with initials CIT in fancy script, this is original. This is a good solid spoon, very suitable for use, the bowl is a good gauge and the tip is excellent. The hallmarks are clear, and consist of makers mark WGL between 2 diamond devices (actually square with a cross in the middle), mark 89 in Cape Silver by Stephan Welz. Willem Lotter worked between 1810 and 1835, his work is represented in the Paarl musuem. David Heller (History of Cape Silver) regarded Lotter as one of the top Cape silversmiths.

Delightful grape scissors with a fox amongst grapes and vines, definitely the nicest grape scissors we have ever seen. The handles are cast, with the design repeated on both sides. Both arms are clearly hallmarked. The shears are all silver, with no steel inserts. These scissors are still in their original box. James Edward Hutton joined his father's firm (William Hutton & Sons) in 1880. The firm supplied many leading retailers, including the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co, Mappin and Webb, and Neill Ltd of Ireland.

A set of 13 sterling silver Apostle spoons, as follows: 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 an axe, and St. James a staff and bible. The spoons are from a set (no 117), issued by The Heritage Collection in 1978, limited to 1000 sets. The hallmarks are clear, and include maker mark CM (Cape Mint, part of the Pagliari Group), 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, and the set number 117. They come complete with original signed certificate and explanatory booklet, with information on all the apostles, origin and how they were made, also the original advertising letter. Note: We have sold a previous set...

An antique silver cigar or cheroot case, with an interesting historical engraved inscription, presented to the Honourable Albert Thomas Oliff in 1910. This is a good quality case, a very pleasing weight, and is in excellent condition, it does not appear to have been used. The case is beautifully engraved, with a repeating leaf and scroll pattern. It is engraved "Presented by the Designated Officers of the Post & Telegraph Dept in Grateful Recognition of Valued Assistance which Righted an Injustice, Natal 1910". The front cartouche is engraved "A.T. Oliff" for Albert Thomas Oliff. The hallmarks are very clear, including makers mark HW&Co Ltd for Horace Woodward & Co, who worked between 1871 and 1921. Albert Thomas Oliff was born in 1855, he married Louise Florence Harper and died in 1924. He emigrated from England to South Africa in 1877, and obviously prospered, in 1986 a book entitled "The Honourable A.T. Oliff: A family history by E.M. Hood-Williams" was published in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal (previou...

A lovely German silver traditional marriage or bridal cup, in 800 silver, in the form of a lady in 17th century costume. The lady has a tight bodice, and wear a traditional hat. Her outstretched arms hold a foliate openwork support from which the small swivel cup is suspended. Her wide long skirt forms the bottom cup, the decoration is very fine, this is a truly lovely example. These cups originated in Nuremberg in the 17th century, they were called "Jungfraubecher" and were used in wedding banquets, where the spouse drinks from the bigger cup, the bride drinks from the smaller cup simultaneously, with the aim of not spilling a drop. The cups were also popular at the end of the 19th century, when they were used for wagers as well as weddings, hence the name wager cup. Richard Garten was active in Dresden between 1860 and 1905, he specialized in commemorative pieces and antique reproductions. His work is always very good quality, this piece is no exception. The hallmarks include the moon and crown (Germany po...

A British Military World War II Silver Chaplain's Chalice Set (an identical pair, but one is sterling silver and the other is silver plate). The Chalices are a standard design dating back to the 17th century, with a semi spherical bowl, a knobbed baluster stem (designed for grip with thumb either above or below), and a circular domed foot with a rim. Both chalices are engraved with a cross, and are on the small size, so probably designed for travel. The silver plated chalice has a gilded interior, the gilding is good. Whilst both chalices appear identical, the sterling silver one is heavier (171 grams vs 142 grams for the plated version. Both chalices are clearly marked with the broad arrow (sometimes called crows foot or pheon), this mark is associated with the War Department, but has a history that dates back to Henry VIII and the establishment of the Board of Ordnance by Sir Philip Sydney, originally to mark supplies to the Royal Navy. In 1875 the symbol was listed in the Public Stores Act, and was used to...

A Peruvian sterling silver Arts & Crafts tray, made by Industria Peruana and branded Old Cuzco. The tray is rectangular, and has three separate compartments, so quite practical for serving snacks. It is a pleasing weight, a pleasure to hold and use. The tray has a reeded rim with 6 shells completing the decoration. The tray is clearly hand made, slightly irregular, we really like this tray. It is hallmarked on the base "Old Cuzco Peruana Industria 925".

A rare and lovely set of Fiddle pattern Cape silver tablespoons, by a rare maker whose work is seldom seen. The spoons are very good quality and weight, and are well preserved, these are substantial spoons. The drop is an unusual shape, has a colonial flavour. The hallmarks are excellent on all 4 spoons, makers mark JH in script and a device that looks like a bishops hat (mark 50 in Welz, Cape Silver). Heegers was born in the Cape in 1778, and worked between 1814 and 1830. In 1814-1816 he was recorded as a silversmith at 6 Roze street, and in 1829-1830 he was recorded as a silversmith in Graaff-Reinet, working with his brother Theodorus. A covered sugar bowl by Johannes Heegers is in the National Cultural History museum, depicted on pg 101 of Cape Silver by Welz.

A lovely and early George II double lipped punch ladle, with twisted whalebone handle, of extremely good quality. It is a good gauge and weight, much heavier than many we have seen. The bowl is fluted and is a generous size, and is joined to the handle with a double scroll. The base of the ladle is engraved "G over J+E", the engraving is contemporary and done by hand. The hallmarks are clear, and include the unregistered makers mark EA (Grimwade 3534) with 2 dots above and 1 below. Whalebone was heated under pressure with steam until malleable, and then twisted into ornate spirals, which hardened and retained their design after cooling (Helliwell, Collecting Small Silverware, pg 76). Aldridge worked between 1724 and 1765 in Foster Lane. He was tried at the investigation of the Goldsmith's Company for counterfeiting marks in 1742, but was acquitted by the jury (Grimwade pg 421).