A rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle and Shell pattern, examples are known to exist but these are regarded as rare. The fork is single struck (pattern only on the front), the shell is a lovely feature. A similar example is depicted the book "Further Researches in Cape Silver" by David Heller, page 68, plate 13, also made by Lawrence Twentyman. English versions of this pattern are also scarce, mostly made in Scotland and Newcastle, London versions are rare (Pickford, Silver Flatware, page 114). The hallmarks are clear, makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (crowned leopard's head town mark, date letter a, duty mark and lion passant), this is mark 135 in Cape Silver by Welz. Note: We have 2 other examples of this fork, S 11435 and S 11437.

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 Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle pattern, with very clear Cape silver pseudo hallmarks for Lawrence Twentyman. The fork is engraved with an interesting family crest, a wolf's head erased, the engraving is still clearly visible. The engraving is on the back of the fork, dating back to a time when forks were placed on the table with tines pointed down. The fork is clearly hallmarked with makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks, all struck individually, pseudo duty mark, pseudo date letter e, pseudo Edinburgh Castle town mark and bird. this is mark 131 in the book "Cape Silver and Silversmiths" by Stephan Welz, but struck in a different order. Lawrence Twentyman was the most prolific of all Cape silversmiths, he had the first shop on Heerengracht (now Adderley Street) with a shop window. He worked between 1818 and 1837.

A British Bulldog Club sterling silver trophy table fork, which is in good condition. The fork features a well modelled bulldog head, above legend "THE BRITISH BULLDOG CLUB". The fork is based on a single struck Kings pattern, but was specially commissioned by the club who wanted to present a more useful trophy than a medal. The club was established in 1892, and still operates today (although I doubt they still have such beautiful silver trophies!). The hallmarks are clear, this fork was made in Birmingham in 1936 by Fattorini & Sons, who specialized in medals and trophies. Note: We have another example of this Bulldog Club fork, S 11402.

A rare Tudor pattern sugar spoon, made by Chawner & Co, the leading flatware maker of Victorian England. The sugar spoon is a pleasing quality, and is in excellent condition, it has no engraving. The Tudor pattern is a Gothic Revival pattern, it has 2 small scroll circular projections on each side of the stem, this differentiates it from the "Straight Tudor" pattern. The sugar spoon is clearly hallmarked, it also has a double dot journeyman's mark. In addition, it also carries the British Registry design number and date chart diamond, which rarely occurs on silver flatware. The presence of the design mark indicates that Chawner registered the design to protect it being copied. Tudor is described by Pickford (Silver Flatware page 150) as "a rare Chawner & Co pattern registered August 14th 1850, along with Straight Tudor, it appears in the Chawner Pattern book (page 218). Odd pieces may on rare occasions, be found, but building a service would be extremely difficult". The Tudor pattern is showcased in the V&A ...

A beautiful pair of Art Nouveau or Jugendstil 800 silver milk or cream jugs, decorated with applied poppies, these are very small jugs, they could almost be described as miniature. The milk jugs are baluster in shape, with a generous pouring lip, and double scroll handles, and flat bases. The interiors are gilded, we can imagine these being used with expresso coffee cups. Both jugs are clearly hallmarked with 4 hallmarks, the German Crown and Crescent mark used after 1888, makers mark LW intertwined in a shield for Lutz & Weiss, 800 standard mark and a lion passant also used by Lutz & Weiss. Lutz & Weiss Silberwarenfabriek was founded in 1882 in Pforzheim, they were an important German firm of silversmiths.

An extremely rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle Thread without Shoulders pattern, this is only the 2nd time we have seen this pattern, see 2 dessert spoons S 11120 and S 11121 which we have already sold. David Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver Vol. 1, depicts a spoon in the same pattern (plate 50, page 124) and a similar 3 tined fork (Plate 61, page 146), these are the only examples we can find in the literature. The fork is double struck (pattern on both sides), and has a single thread, but notably without the usual shoulder where the bowl joins the handle. The fork also has a long drop, with an unusual curve, showing this fork was hand made. The fork is lovely quality, a pleasing weight, and is in excellent condition. The hallmarks are excellent, a variant of mark 138 in Cape Silver by Welz, Castle, date letter C, and Georgian duty mark, with makers mark LT, all well struck. We have 2 matching forks, S 11433 and S 11434. A close examination of all 3 forks shows slight differences to the dro...

A pair of Jugendstil German silver serving spoons, 800 purity, made by Lazarus Posen of Frankfurt, Germany circa 1900. The spoons have an interesting diamond shaped bowl, the bowls are gilded on both sides, so can be used for serving salty dishes. The handles are single struck in typical Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) style, with a central wreath surrounding engraved initials MJL. Both spoons are clearly hallmarked, makers mark script P in shaped outline, 800 standard mark and German crescent moon and crown hallmarks. Lazarus Posen was founded in Frankfurt in 1869, they specialised in Judaica, they became one of Germany's leading silversmiths, receiving a Royal warrant in 1903. They closed in 1938 due to Kristallnacht.

A set of 12 ribbed rat tail trefid teaspoons, reproductions of a 17th century style, these spoons have just reached the 100 year milestone so are now classified as antiques themselves. The spoons are in good condition, they do not appear to have seen much use. The spoons have no engraving. Reproductions of earlier styles was common in the early 20th century. All 12 spoons have clear hallmarks, including makers mark W.H.H for William Hair Haseler Ltd, who worked between 1882 and 1941. Haseler is remembered as the manufacturer for much of Liberty's Cymric silver and Tudric pewter, including pieces designed by Archibald Knox.

A Victorian miniature silver brandy saucepan in the traditional shape, with turned bone? handle. The saucepan has an engraved family crest of a an eagle with talons and wings outstretched, the engraving is very clear. the base is clearly hallmarked for London 1865, with makers mark RS for Richard Sibley II, (mark 2440 in Grimwade), his father Richard Sibley I also used this mark, Richard Sibley II worked between 1829 and 1873. The saucepan is also marked "Thomas Bond St." for FB Thomas & Co, a well known firm of retail silversmiths who operated from 153 Bond Street between 1807 and 1943 (the shop was severely damaged in an air-raid in 1941). Francis Boone Thomas joined the family business in 1851, he died in 1900. Richard Sibley II supplied many items of silver to FB Thomas between 1847 and 1873, in fact they shared premises, so must have had a close informal partnership.

A lovely Irish Georgian silver tablespoon in the Old English pattern, with an engraved family crest for the Newton family of Dunleckney, County Carlow, featuring a Ducal coronet. The spoon has a pleasing quality, and is in excellent condition, the engraving is also crisp and clear. The crest features a boars head above Ducal coronet (with strawberry leaves), with 2 ostrich feathers above the coronet. The spoon is also engraved with owners initials N/GG on the drop. The hallmarks are clear, the makers mark JB has slight wear to the J. John Bayly worked between 1787 and 1804 (Bennett mark 204). This spoon would have been made for Colonel Philip Newton (1770-1833) and his wife Sarah when they inherited the Dunleckney estate in 1802. Note - We have a matching pair S11388.

A rare pair of Georgian silver Coburg pattern sugar tongs, made in 1825 by Randall Chatterton. The tongs have the Coburg pattern on both arms, the bow has never been engraved. The tongs have the usual oyster heel (oyster shell on the bowls). The quality and weight is very pleasing, at 68 grammes they are heavier than most sugar tongs, and the condition is excellent. The hallmarks are clear, including makers mark RC (Grimwade 2290), this mark is often confused with Richard Crossley, who worked until 1812. The Coburg pattern was "designed for Rundell, Bridge & Rundell in 1810, this rare pattern was made by Paul Storr and is perhaps the pattern for which he is best known" - Ian Pickford, Silver Flatware, page 134. The Coburg pattern was also depicted in the Chawner & Co. pattern book of 1875 (Silver Flatware page 220). Randall Chatterton was a spoon maker, he was freed in 1809 and worked until 1845. He is not recorded as a known maker of Georgian silver sugar tongs by Graham Hodges in his book "Georgian Silver S...

An interesting pair of Indian Colonial silver menu holders, awarded as military trophies by the Viceroy of India. The trophies read "Viceroy's Shield", one is dated 1927 and the other 1930. The holders are in the form of a shield, with a mounted soldier in the centre, surrounded by a highly ornate design of foliage, flowers, bamboo and scrolls. The shields have an attached clip at the back, to hold a menu or nametag at a dinner table, and they stand on a secure rectangular silver base with rounded front. Please note the size and weight of these items, they are larger and heavier than most menu holders we see, the quality is excellent. Both are engraved on the rear with the recipients details, "B" Right Sergt A.H. Greatrex" (he was a Lance Corporal in 1927). Close inspection of the shields shows they are similar but not identical, which leads us to believe they were made by hand, with the silversmith copying a design (presumably the original Viceroy's Shield). Note the slight differences in the soldier, also t...

The General Smuts Cup, a sterling silver shooting trophy awarded to Captain W. Marks of Belfast in 1950. The trophy is a small circular bon-bon dish, on a raised circular foot, with irregular rim featuring scrolls. The dish has an applied silver badge of the SANRA (South African National Rifle Association), of a jumping springbok below crossed rifles, and above a laurel wreath, surrounded by engraving "Capt. W. Marks Belfast, Genl. Smuts Cup 1950". The rim of the foot is also engraved, this is very small and barely visible, it reads "M. Tiger, Bloemfontein", we assume the trophy was re-awarded at a later date. The dish is clearly hallmarked on the base for Birmingham 1939 by Charles Green & Co, given it is engraved 1950 we assume it's use was delayed by World War II. Belfast is a small town in the North East of South Africa, primarily known for coal mining and trout fishing. Field Marshal Jan Smuts (1870-1950) was the Prime Minister of South Africa during World War II, he had a strong friendship with Winston ...

A beautiful Norwegian silver replica of a 17th century figural spoon, which makes an ideal Christening present for a girl. The spoon has a well modelled cast finial of a bust of a female warrior, complete with armour, standing on a pedestal decorated with a feeding bird, masks, flowers and scrolls. The traditionally shaped bowl is gilded, the gilding still well preserved. The quality of this spoon is outstanding, clearly made by a master craftsman, and the condition is excellent. The spoon is hallmarked with makers mark MH and grade 830S, so we can date this spoon to prior to 1920, when Norwegian silversmiths moved to the sterling 925 standard. Marius Hammer (1847-1927) was one of Norway's leading silversmiths, employing 130 staff in 1914, they even supplied the Prince of Wales. In addition to high end souvenirs, they produced replicas of notable Scandinavian silver, including this spoon.

A fabulous near pair of cast silver gilt figural candlesticks, modelled as Roman's in togas with laurel wreaths, made by the Fox Brothers, Charles and George, important makers known for their figural pieces. The Roman figures are beautifully modelled, note the detail in the face, hair and toga folds, one arm holds the sconce, the other is raised, with the bent knee they almost appear to be dancing. The figures stand on a cast silver Rococo base, also finely decorated with swirling scrolls, incorporating a vacant cartouche for engraving of a family crest (both vacant). The sconces with acanthus leaf decoration and the original detachable nozzles (for ease of cleaning) are also all cast silver, the quality is outstanding, these would have been expensive items when new. Both the figures are securely fastened to their bases with their original bolts and screws, one is slightly loose. The quality of the gilding is also superb, with very little wear, these figures with come to life in candlelight. On close examinat...

An interesting Victorian silver box, with am embossed scene of 4 racing horses pulling a rider, in front of a building. We imagine the rider is riding a chariot, but this is not visible. The rider has a flowing cape, the horses have flowing manes and are kicking up a dust storm, the modelling of the horses is beautiful and very realistic. The box is table snuff box size, it could also fit cigarettes or small cigars, but as it is not gilded or wood lined we assume it is a storage box for small desk items, or perhaps cufflinks on a dressing table. The box is good quality and a pleasing weight. The hallmarks on the base are slightly worn from polishing but still clearly visible, including makers mark G over interlocking L in shield punch for Lambert and Co, who used this mark between 1884 and 1900, based in Coventry Street London. Lambert and Co. was a prestigious firm, originally Lambert and Rawlings, they held a Royal warrant and won a prize medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1861 George Lambert and his...

A pair of full figural Indian sterling silver souvenir spoons, with bowls decorated with Mudlavia, Kramer, Indiana. The spoons are a good weight at 30 grammes each, and very pleasing quality, The detail on these spoons is excellent, the Indian is carrying a bow and tomahawk, his feathered headrest hangs to his waist. The bowls feature the Mudlavia Hotel in Kramer, Indiana, once again the detail is excellent (one spoon bowl is very clear, the second has some wear and is not as crisp). Both spoons are clearly hallmarked "Sterling", they also have a Dutch duty mark V in shaped shield, this mark was used 1906-1953 on imported silver, so at some stage these spoons were imported into the Netherlands. No makers mark is present. The Mudlavia Hotel was a spa built in 1890 by Harry Kramer to use the natural spring water, it drew visitors from around the world until it burnt down in 1920. Today the springs are owned by Perrier for use in their bottled water. The book "Collectable Souvenir Spoons" by Wayne Bednersh desc...

A pair of beautiful Norwegian 830 silver caviar spoons in the Russian style, made by Jacob Tostrup, one of Norway's leading silversmiths, goldsmiths and jewellers. The quality and the decoration of the spoons is superb, Tostrup has used a combination of selective gilding of parts of the handles to accentuate the spoons design and high quality engraving. The spoons have circular bowls and a typically Russian design, dating back to a period when Russian influence was greater in Norway than it is today. The intricate engraving has clearly been done by a master craftsman. The backs of the bowls are engraved with original owners initials P & T B in script. The spoons have been perfectly preserved in their original silk and felt lined wooden box, which reads "J. Tostrup Juwelier Kristiana". Both spoons are clearly hallmarked "830 TOSTRUP 1879". Jacob Tostrup was founded in 1832, Jacob died in 1890 but the business was continued by family members until 1962. "Jacob Tostrup received the title royal court jeweler, a...

A very interesting American sterling silver Arts & Crafts ladle, made by W. Depp in the 1950's. The ladle is the traditonal shape, but has 2 bars that join in a loop for the handle, with the base of the handle wrapped in a thick silver wire, we love this design! The bowl has been shaped by hand with a pouring lip on the side, so well suited for gravy, cream or even a toddy (the shape and size is very similar to Scottish silver toddy ladles). The ladle is clearly hallmarked with makers mark W Depp in a triangle (looks like V V rather than W), alongside "Hand Wrought" and "Sterling". W Depp is a mystery to us, he (or she) did produce some modernist hand wrought sterling silver jewellery, we have not been able to find any other flatware by this maker, or information about them (all assistance welcome). Note 1 July 2024 - Thanks to assistance from Susan who has a very similar ladle, we have identified the silversmith as Wesley Depp (1922-2002), of Saranac Lake, New York. Wesley was the son of John Depp and start...