A set of 6 Norwegian silver cake forks in the Lilje (Lily) pattern, made by one of Norway's leading silversmiths, Magnus Aase, circa 1939. The forks are in the 830 silver grade, and their quality is excellent, they are also a pleasing size and weight (25 grammes each), so very suitable for use. The Lily pattern was designed by Trigve Eriksen in 1939, described as a simple yet elegant expression of the Lily, typical of the artistic style of the 1930's. This pattern is still produced today by Arven, described as one of their most popular patterns, they descend from Theodor Olsen, Magnus Aase, Marius Hammer, Jacob Tostrup and the Lohne brothers (www.arven.no). The hallmarks are clear on all 6 forks, and include 830S standard mark, MA makers mark, NM for "Norsk Monster" (patent) and N , possibly a date letter.

A South African Medical Corps WW II gold sweetheart brooch, mounted on a bar brooch, the bar with scroll engraving on either side. The badge itself is a red tinged gold, the bar is yellow gold The badge features the rod of Aesculapius with a serpent entwined round it, head uppermost and looking left, all within a laurel wreath, under a Royal crown, the same badge as used by the Royal Medical Corps. The Scroll below reads "S.A.M.C / S.A.G.D.", translated in Afrikaans the Suid Afrikaanse Geneeskunige Diens. The brooch is clearly hallmarked 9CT for 9 carat gold.

A beautiful pair of antique cast silver grape scissors (zilver druifschaar in Dutch), made in Amsterdam in 1885, these are extremely good quality and a pleasing weight. The scissors have simulated vine branches, with well placed cast vine leaves and bunches of grapes, the blade portion is solid silver as well, no steel pieces. The scissors have 2 vine arms that they rest upon, so are easily accessed when being picked up, a lovely and practical design feature. The silver is 835 grade, as is usual for Dutch silver, as indicated by the lion hallmark with II below it, this hallmark easily visible on the blade. The other hallmarks are hidden in the decoration, but clearly visible, including Dutch Minerva with A for Amsterdam, date letter gothic A for 1885 and makers mark JL under 5 for Jilles Limburg, who worked between 1874 and 1900 (mark 11592 in Netherlands Responsibility Marks since 1797).

A rare World War I 9 carat gold and enamel sweetheart brooch for the South African Heavy Artillery, who served with distinction at Delville Wood. The badge consists of a springbok head above 2 crossed artillery guns, with "South African Heavy Artillery" below in gold letters with blue enamel (note slight loss to enamel between H AF and small chip before H in heavy). The brooch is cast, the quality is good, 2 different tones of gold have been used (yellow with red gold accents). The clasp connector and catch are also gold, but the pin is not. The hallmarks are clear, Birmingham 1917 with 9 and .375 marks for 9 carat gold, along with makers mark E.A.P&Co (not much is known about this firm, they worked in 1916 and 1917). The South African Heavy Artillery Brigade was part of the volunteer South African Overseas Expeditionary Force, who served during World War I between 1916 and 1918, in East Africa, Egypt, Palestine and the Western Front (Somme, Ypres, Passchendaele and Cambrai, notably Delville Wood).

A lovely 15 carat gold and enamel RAF (Royal Air Force) sweetheart brooch, with very good detail. This is very pleasing quality, it would have been an expensive item when first made. The brooch has RAF in red enamel under a red enamel crown, above a green enamel laurel wreath, all set in gold, with the feathered wings either side. In addition to the attachment pin, the brooch has a fine gold safety pin and chain, for added security, to prevent the brooch being lost. The back is clearly stamped "15", indicating 15 carat gold, which was a British Commonwealth standard until it was discontinued in 1932 (hence our dating the brooch between 1918 when the RAF was established and 1932).

A pair of antique silver serving spoons, with beautiful pierced and engraved handles, in pristine condition. The detail of the piercing is excellent, an architectural feature surrounded by foliage. The spoons are a useful size, ideal for serving. The spoons appear to have never been used, such a pity for such beautiful items. The hallmarks on both spoons are clear, and include makers mark for the Sheffield firm of Hawksworth & Eyre, who worked between 1841 and 1932, when they were taken over by Ellis of Barker Brothers. Charles Hawksworth and John Eyre exhibited a wide variety of goods at the Great Exhibition of 1851, they had showrooms in London Fleet Street and Montreal, Canada. (Culme, Directory of Gold & Silversmiths, page 222).

A sterling silver circular salver in the Art deco style, with 6 panels of incurved decoration (3 parallel lines on the exterior), and 3 silver button feet. The salver has a raised border, slightly wavy, overall the decoration is quite understated, but makes a big impact. The salver is a superb weight and quality, unlike many light and flimsy copies made at this time. This excellent quality is what we have come to expect from the Barnard's, who are the oldest manufacturing silversmiths in existance, the business being founded in 1773 (Culme, Gold and Silversmiths, pg 29). The hallmarks are very clear, as good as they get, with excellent detail. An almost identical salver, also by Barnards in 1937, but with ivory bun feet, can be seen on the AC Silver website (www.acsilver.co.uk).

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 antique silver and enamel vesta case, with the coat of arms of Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. The vesta is rectangular with rounded corners, and has a safety suspension ring. The applied cast coat of arms has red, blue and yellow enamel, and features a three masted sailing ship with sails furled, above KIRKWALL and below motto "Si Deus Nobiscum", translated "If God be for us" from Romans 8:31. The hallmarks are clear, including makers mark R.C. for Robert Chandler, who worked between 1902 and 1924. Kirkwall is the capital of the Scottish Orkney Islands, the original Kirk was the 11th century St Olaf's of Norway. Kirkwall is also the home of Highland Park whisky, so is on my list of places I would like to visit.

A matching set of six antique silver teaspoons and 2 saltspoons, all engraved with an Earl's coronet above monogram with letter C. The monogram is quite intricate, 2 S scrolls intertwined, with central letter C. The spoons are good quality, teaspoons 28 grammes each, all have a double drop. The hallmarks are clear on all 8 spoons, the makers mark LAC is only lightly struck, but still visible. Lionel Alfred Crichton, 1890-1938, was known for it's fine quality replica silver. Lionel Crichton also set auction records for silver purchases in 1914, he paid the record sum of 5600 pounds at Christies for a silver standing salt, dated 1508 (Henry VIII), from Lord Ashburnham's collection. He had retail outlets in Bond Street London, and New York.

A set of fabulous quality antique silver teaspoons, in the Fiddle and Thread pattern, made by the leading silversmiths of the Victorian era. The teaspoons are quite large and a very pleasing weight, over 30 grammes each, they have engraved initials AMI. The hallmarks are excellent on all 6 teaspoons.

A private die silver serving or basting spoon featuring a King Protea, South Africa's national flower. The pattern is single struck, and contains a well modelled King Protea on the end of the spoon, the stem is decorated with a triple ribbed pattern with bands, ending in a diamond shape at the spoon bowl. We imagine this is a rare pattern, probably a special commission for a South African event or for a family with South African ties (all suggestions welcome). The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark R.C for William Comyns & Sons, a firm that dates back to 1856, and still exists today. They are an important firm, their archive contains over 30 thousand patterns (in the V&A), they made all the coronets for the Queen's coronation. The spoon also has an additional hallmark in a very strange place, at the back of the spoon where the stem joins the bowl, this mark is circular and contains 3 C's in a pattern, we have now established this back to back C's hallmark is a trademark used exclusively by William C...

A very interesting (and large) Odd Fellows antique silver medallion or pendant, with a central Brittannia surrounded by a laurel wreath, in silver, on blue (enamel?) background, covered by glass. The oval medallion is engraved "VOTED BY THE YARMOUTH BRITANNIC LODGE OF ODD FELLOWS TO G. BOATWRIGHT P.G. 29 MARCH 1843". This is surrounded by an attractive engraved chain, the border is also engraved. The hallmarks are clear, and include the distinctive J.D makers mark with indented corners (Grimwade 3421). Dallinger was an engraver, lithographer and copper plate maker, he first worked in Ipswitch from 1824 and moved to Norwich in 1829 when he made this medallion. He is known as a maker of Odd Fellow regalia. The Odd Fellows is a Fraternal Society promoting philanthropy and charity, it dates back to 1745 and still exists today.

A fabulous pair of antique silver tea knives (or butter knives), made in Sheffield but retailed in Oban, Scotland by R Drummond & Son. The knives have green hardstone handles, beautifully shaped, we guess Scottish green agate. The blades are nicely shaped and engraved, the hallmarks (which are excellent on both knives) are camoflagued in the engraving. The blades are blunt, so made for spreading, not for cutting, in the days everyone had their own knife for tea. The backs of both blades are clearly punched "R Drummond & Son, Oban", so we know they were retailed from their jewellery store in Queens Park, Oban. They also had a store in Stirling which traded between 1865 and 1904. Their advert has survived, and reads "Goldsmiths, Watchmakers and Opticians". Levesley Brothers worked between 1897 and 1916. The set is perfectly preserved in its original box.

A set of 6 Georg Jensen sterling silver coffee or demitasse spoons, in the Akkeleje # 77 pattern. The design is repeated on the back and the front, the Akkeleje can be translated as the Columbine flower, these are attractive, dainty spoons. The pattern was introduced in 1918, and was designed by Georg Jensen himself. All 6 spoons are clearly hallmarked with Danish hallmarks, including makers mark GJ above "STERLING DENMARK", they also have London import marks and 925 sterling marks for 1934 and 1935 (4 are 1934, 2 are 1935), along with makers mark G.J Ld, used by Jensen between 1931 and 1967 for items imported to their store in New Bond Street, London.

A set of 6 antique silver egg spoons, in the Fiddle, Thread and Shell pattern. The spoons are fabulous quality, just under 30 grammes each, a pleasure to hold and use. The spoons have the traditional shovel shaped bowls with distinct shoulders, where they meet the stem, so quite different to teaspoons. The hallmarks are clear on all 6 spoons, but the makers mark is only lightly struck, enough is visible to confirm the triangle shaped HA&S makers mark for Hollard, Aldwinckle & Slater, used between 1905 and 1919. Culme (Directory of Gold & Silversmiths) describes this firm as "an important firm of manufacturing silversmiths, established 1838, they purchased Chawner & Co in 1883, Hennell in 1887, they were absorbed by Francis Higgins in 1922". They supplied virtually all the leading silversmiths of the day, including Garrard, Elkington, Mappin & Webb, and Hunt & Roskell. A visitor in 1894 said "in passing through the galleries, the heavy thuds and ring of anvils, convince one that there is indeed such a trade as...

A set of 6 sterling silver Arts & Crafts salt or condiment spoons, made by Kurt Jobst circa 1950. The spoons have spiral design finials, round bowls and hand hammered "square" handles, they are a pleasure to hold and use. They are great quality, each individually made by hand by a master craftsman. All 6 spoons have clear hallmarks, and include his trademark "unicorn" KJ mark, along with "Jobst, Sterling and .925" marks. Jobst was born in Austria in 1905, he served his apprenticeship in Hanau, Germany, his influence was the Bauhaus movement. He emigrated with his family in 1936 from Austria to South Africa to escape Hitler, and became one of Johannesburg's leading silversmiths. He was commissioned by the South African Government to make the official wedding present for Queen Elizabeth in 1947 (a silver box with diamond necklace), he also made silver for Ernest Oppenheimer (cigar box, bowls and dishes). He died in a car crash in 1971 aged 66, in 1977 a book of his work was published. Nadine Gordimer (Nobel Pri...

A rare Victorian silver Armorial butter spade, where the whole blade displays an engraved family armorial. The butter spade has a bone handle, the blade is shield shaped (as opposed to usual triangular shape,) The armorial (centre cross with 4 crosses) is topped with an engraved lion rampant where the blade joins the handle. The bone handle is connected with a silver ferrule. The hallmarks are well struck and clear. Martin Hall & Co was established by Richard Martin and Ebernezer Hall in 1863 in Sheffield, they produced good quality silver until 1911. Butter spades are described by Ian Pickford as "quite rare" (Silver Flatware pg 180), we have not seen another armorial example.

A Pair of lovely French silver 2 pronged forks, with beautiful ornate baluster handles in 800 grade silver. The forks are finely decorated with flowers, scrolls and acanthus leaves, on a matted hand engraved textured surface, the central portion have a diamond engraved pattern with grooves, to improve grip. The steel prongs are long and elegant, sharp and slightly splayed. Both forks have 2 small hallmarks, the French silver Boars Head used for 800 standard (2eme titre) on small items, this mark was in use between 1838 and 1961, and an additional 800 standard mark. We date these forks to mid 19th century, copies of an earlier style.

A delightful Cape silver konfyt fork, one of the most charming we have seen. The fork is in the Hanoverian pattern, with turn up end, it has a form of feather edge engraving at the top of the handle, a long elegant stem (much longer than usual), and 3 tines. It has a v shaped drop, so overall quite different from many Cape silver konfyt forks. The fork is struck with makers mark IVC, this has no dots, the mark is clearly visible but the punch appears a little worn (hence the G being seen as a C). We believe this to be one of the marks used by Johann Voight, it is depicted in David Heller's book "History of Cape Silver", page 163. We have now confirmed 3 different IVG marks on Cape silver, which clearly come from 3 different punches, but probably come from 1 silversmith, or family of silversmiths as sons often took over the business of the father, and used the same punches. The other two IVG marks have different configurations of dots present, see Welz mark 171 with 2 dots, Welz described this maker as "unknow...