An interesting and pretty Georgian silver caddy spoon, with an unusual pierced bowl. The bowl is circular, and has 16 nail shaped piercings surrounding a central circular piercing, the design complemented with bright cut engraving, which continues on the handle, with a blank cartouche which has not been engraved. The spoon is clearly hallmarked, with a very clear lion passant, date letter A for 1796, and Georgian duty mark, the latter partially covers the makers mark GB in rectangular punch which was struck earlier. A small crescent moon journeyman's mark is also present, their is no town mark, although we are confident this is a London spoon. A very similar pierced caddy spoon with a different design, also by George Burrows but dated 1793, can be seen on the Steppes Hill Farm website, www.steppeshillfarmantiques.com, note this spoon also has the crescent moon mark and no town mark. Pierced caddy spoons are known but quite rare, most seem to date between 1790 and 1800, by a few London and Birmingham makers. ...

A set of 6 Gorham sterling silver dessert sized forks in the Strasbourg pattern, first launched in 1897. The forks are fabulous quality, as you would expect from Gorham, and are in excellent condition and without any monograms or engraving. The forks have 4 tines, these would be described as salad forks in the USA. The beautiful and graceful Strasbourg pattern is inspired by French rococo style, with a series of different sized scrolls, with shells on the finials and heels. Strasbourg, designed by William Codman who was Gorham's chief designer from 1891-1914, is described by Gorham as "one of the best loved of all Gorham designs", and according to Pinterest it was used on Air Force One, (U.S. Presidents aeroplane). All 6 forks are clearly hallmarked with the Gorham lion, anchor and gothic G, alongside STERLING and PAT. 1897. They also have an additional T hallmark, we believe this was used briefly by Gorham at the turn of the century, to denote a specific weight (T for Trade, H for Heavy). Gorham Corporatio...

A beautiful Gorham sterling silver Louis XIV pattern gilded sugar sifter spoon and matching ladle, retailed by Starr & Marcus of New York. The pattern is striking, described as "17 th Century Magnificence", named after King Louis Quatorze of France, who "made his reign famous for it's splendour". The sifter spoon bowl is intricately pierced, clearly done by a master craftsman, one of the best we have seen. The design has 12 panels around the outside, each with a pierced starburst and V shaped flower, the centre has more starbursts and a pierced branch design, completed with pierced circles. The ladle (we assume for gravy) has a plain bowl, but with deep gold gilding (described as goldwash in the USA), both have original owners engraved initials Gothic S. The hallmarks are clear on both items, "Patent 1870, Sterling, and the Gorham lion, anchor and gothic G, along with retailers mark "Starr & Marcus". Gorham Corporation, which still exists today, was founded in 1831, they dominated the solid silver flatware m...

A lovely Georg Jensen sterling silver cream ladle in the Blossom No 84 pattern, with London import marks for 1931. The ladle is well designed, with a kink in the handle below the flower blossom, which greatly improves the grip and allows for precise pouring. The bowl is planished (hand hammered), and the 2 pouring lips work well. The Blossom pattern No. 84 (Magnolie in Danish), sometimes called Magnolia in the USA, was designed by Jensen himself and introduced in 1919, is "a sculptural design which features a realistic stem and blossom design that appears to grow from the handle. This pattern, perhaps more than any other, demonstrates the sculptural quality that earned Jensen widespread acclaim". - Georg Jensen, A Tradition of Splendid Silver, Janet Drucker, page 267 - a book we highly recommend. The ladle is clearly hallmarked, makers mark GJ with 925 S in beaded circle, above "Denmark Sterling", below pattern number "84". The ladle also has clear London hallmarks, with GS for George Stockwell & Co, who impo...

A lovely set of Georg Jensen Beaded pattern mocha spoons (6), perfectly preserved in their original box. The spoons are small and dainty, but exude the quality you expect from Jensen. The original silk lined box reads "Georg Jensen, Silversmith, 15a New Bond St, London W.I, Member of the Salon Paris". The beaded pattern (Kugle in Danish, Jensen pattern # 7) has a beaded pattern around the lower edge of the handle, it was designed by Jensen himself in 1916, described as "an elegant composition, that remains contemporary in design while imparting a timeless quality" - Georg Jensen, Tradition of Splendid Silver, page 267. All 6 spoons are clearly hallmarked with Danish marks GJ in circular bead with 925 standard mark, and English import marks for 1925, with importers mark GS for George Stockwell & Co, (imported Jensen silver between 1909 and 1931).

A fabulous set of 6 Scottish Provincial dessert spoons in the Fiddle pattern, made by William Ferguson of Elgin, and hallmarked in Edinburgh over 3 different years between 1839 and 1841. The spoons are all engraved with original owners initial W, so clearly a set. The spoons are in excellent condition, with strong tips to the spoon bowls, with no sign of wear or use at all - no dents or scratches, these spoons must have sat in a drawer and not been used. Close examination of the 6 spoons reveals small differences in the size and shape of the bowls, shape of the Fiddle and the shape of the drop, which indicates these spoons were all made by hand. Furthermore, the spoons vary slightly in weight, the lightest is 33 grammes, the heaviest 39 grammes, they average 37 grammes, so a significant variation. The hallmarks on all 6 spoons are also very clear and well struck, they could not be better. They include makers mark WF and ELGIN, alongside Edinburgh hallmarks, 1 is for 1839, 3 for 1840 and 2 for 1841. 2 of the s...

A beautiful Italian silver salt cellar, made in the Kingdom of Naples (Napoli) or the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, at the end of the French Domination period when the Kingdom had Napoleonic rulers, the French influence can be seen in the design. The cellar has 2 parts, a circular base with intricate pierced skirting, gadrooned rim, and 3 wonderful cast feet with lion heads with rings, and paw feet, the detail is lovely. The feet are supported by curved triangular supporting bars, which contain the hallmarks. The base holds a circular gilded cellar, which can be removed for cleaning, it is held in place with a locking mechanism, 2 bars that fit into slots and then rotate to secure. In addition to the beautiful design, the quality is very pleasing, this would have been an expensive item when new. The condition is also pleasing, just a small dent to the cellar, and another dent to the skirting, salt cellars were well used and often are damaged. The base has 3 hallmarks, makers mark GB under device (all assistan...

A rare Straight Tudor pattern sifter ladle, made by Chawner & Co, the leading flatware maker of Victorian England. The ladle is fabulous quality, and in excellent condition, without engraving. The piercing in the bowl is lovely, a central flower surrounded by scrolls, changing to leaves on the side. The Straight Tudor pattern is a Gothic Revival pattern, note the omission of 2 small scroll circular projections on each side of the stem, this differentiates it from the "Tudor" pattern. The sifter ladle is clearly hallmarked, it also carries the British Registry design number and date chart diamond, which rarely occurs on silver flatware - class I for metal, date letter v for 1850. The presence of the design mark indicates that Chawner protected 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, ...

An interesting early Georgian Britannia silver rat tail Hanoverian tablespoon made by Thomas Salter of Exeter in 1718. The spoon has 5 bottom marked hallmarks, these are all worn (possibly originally lightly struck), but still with enough definition to read each hallmark. In addition to the rat tail the spoon has a central rib on the front of the stem, and original owners initials B over CJ engraved on the back, this engraving is very quaint, more likely done by the owner or local blacksmith rather than a professional engraver. The spoon is well made, and a pleasing weight, but has some wear from use. The hallmarks include makers mark Sa in Gothic script, see Jackson's Silver and Gold Marks page 292, and also Tim Kent's West Country Silver Spoons and their makers 1550-1750, page 130, M134, a book we highly recommend. The 2nd hallmark is Britannia, used between 1701 and 1720, to denote the higher grade 958/1000 silver. The third mark is lions head erased, followed by the castle town mark for Exeter, these mar...

A rare Cape Silver lemoen lepel (orange spoon) and matching konfyt fork (preserve), none are recorded in the Cape silver reference books, but we have previously sold a similar pair (S1812). The spoon is the traditional elegant lemoen lepel shape, with narrow, pointed boat shaped bowl, v shaped drop, and triangular terminal. The matching fork has 4 tines, both feature traditional Cape prick engraving, 2 wavy rows around the border of the handles. Both are clearly hallmarked with makers mark IL in rectangular punch with rounded corners for Jan Lotter (makers mark 71 in Cape Silver by Welz), and are also punched with initials HB, we assume the original owner. Welz describes orange spoons as "probably the most attractive type of spoon made at the Cape, derived from Dutch spoons", page 95. He also notes that all known examples are by Cape born silversmiths of the early 19th century (so not made by the more prolific English immigrants who arrived after 1815). Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver, describes or...

An interesting 9 carat gold bar brooch, featuring a well modelled monkey sitting on bamboo, holding a stack of gold coins in his hand. The detail is lovely, the monkey's tail wraps around the bamboo. The brooch also has a gold safety chain with coat hanger hook, to prevent the brooch being lost. The brooch is clearly hallmarked "9Ct" for nine carat gold. This is a well made brooch with fine detail, the addition of the gold safety chain reminds us of gold brooches made in London in the first half of the 20th century. A monkey holding gold coins is considered by some as a lucky monkey, a symbol of prosperity and wealth.

A wonderful pair of Scottish Provincial silver toddy ladles, made in Aberdeen by William Jamieson. The ladles are Fiddle pattern, and both have a beautifully engraved family crest of a dog, the bright cut engraving is amongst the best we have seen on Scottish Provincial silver. The ladles are great quality. and are in excellent condition. Both ladles are clearly hallmarked WJ, A, B, D, WJ, makers mark WJ struck twice with ABD for Aberdeen in between. The 2 makers marks are struck with different punches, the second punch has an indent next to the J. Given the careful alignment and identical spacing between punches, we assume the hallmarks were part of a stub struck on a fly press. This same set of hallmarks, with the same indent, is depicted in the book Aberdeen Silver by Michael Wilson, page 66, bottom left under William Jamieson. Jamieson worked between 1809 and 1841, his company were prolific producers of silverware, based at 87 Broad street, Aberdeen. Jamieson took on at least 17 apprentices, his son Georg...

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 Cape silver tablespoon by unknown maker M.I.V., with an exceptionally clear makers mark. The spoon is Fiddle pattern, in good condition but with wear to the tip from use, and no engraving. The makers mark M.I.V. is very well struck and clear, note the specific placing of the dots (first 2 higher than last). This is makers mark 178 in Cape Silver by Welz (page 158), where the specific placing of the dots is clearly illustrated. This mark is also recorded by Heller in Further Researches in Cape Silver Vol. 11, mark N.M.M 56, page 126, also with the unusually placed dots clearly illustrated. We have only seen one other example of Cape silver with this makers mark, a Cape silver sauce ladle that sold at Strauss in March 2011, Lot 146. Note - We have a second example of this spoon, with a slightly less clear makers mark, see S 11465.

A World War 1 Royal Artillery 15 carat gold and enamel sweetheart regimental bar brooch, clearly hallmarked 15 CT for 15 Carat gold, both the badge and the bar. The detail is lovely, red enamel crown above blue enamel "UBIQUE" (Everywhere), above a gold cannon, above blue enamel motto "QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT" (Wherever right and glory lead). The bar, pin and clasp are also 15 carat gold, the clasp has a clever locking mechanism to prevent loss, this was an expensive quality item when originally purchased. 15 Carat gold was discontinued by Britain in 1932, hence we can date this brooch to the Great War. The Royal Artillery, commonly referred to as "The Gunners", was formed in 1799, and comprises of 13 regular army regiments today.

A pair of Cape silver table forks in the Fiddle pattern, without any engraving. The forks are in excellent condition, they have not seen much use at all. Both forks are clearly hallmarked with makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (lion passant, duty mark, date letter a and crowned leopard's head town mark), this is mark 135 in the book Cape Silver by Stephan Welz.

A Georgian silver loving cup which has been used as a horse racing trophy, the cup has a beautiful engraved race horse with jockey in full flight. The loving cup is the plain standard design, with a banded girdle, sitting on a banded spreading foot, with 2 scroll handles with thumb piece for easy grip, and heart shaped ends to the base of the hollow handles. The engraving is superb, and still in crisp condition, the detail of the jockey and horse racing between two posts is very pleasing. The cup is in very good condition, and has no engraving besides the horse. The Georgian hallmarks for London 1808 are clear, the makers mark WB in rectangular punch has partial wear to the W, but still legible. William Bennett worked between 1796 and 1825, he specialized in trays and salvers, but made numerous other items of hollowware as well. His mark is often confused with William Bateman, but as Bateman only entered his mark in 1815 we can be certain this cup was made by Bennett.

A Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers antique silver spoon, with the Company armorial as a cast silver finial. The spoon is a good weight and quality, it also has a rat-tail bowl. The cast finial has lovely detail, the back has a vacant shield cartouche intended for engraved initials. The company is one of the Livery companies of the city of London, ranked 41st in order of precedence, it was founded in 1375 and received Royal Charter in 1571. The company motto, "Join Loyalty & Liberty" was created by past Master John Wilkes in 1774, John Wilkes is remembered as the founder of "Freedom of the Press", his statue is in Fetter Lane. He was also Lord Mayor of London, his "I love liberty" slogan on silver spoon picture-backs are highly collectible. The armorial has 2 pairs of compasses over a globe, under 2 roses and a scallop shell, with a demi savage holding a spear, supported by 2 naked boys, one holding a female figure, the other a square - all this detail is clearly visible. The hallmarks are very clear,...

An interesting set of 6 sterling silver coffee (or demitasse) spoons, made in Durban, South Africa in 1963 by Norman Watson. The spoons have a distinctive design, a pointed terminal above a circular scroll, with 3 ribs along the stem, almost Art Deco in style. The spoons are dainty but elegant, around 9 grammes each but are lovely quality, perfect for an expresso cup, we really like using these spoons. All 6 spoons are clearly hallmarked with "MADE IN SOUTH AFRICA" (an unusual feature we have not seen before), along with 4 hallmarks, trademarked "Dick King on Horseback" for Norman Watson, STG for sterling, Lions head in U (South African Bureau of Standards purity mark for sterling silver, introduced in 1948), and date letter Gothic P for 1963. Norman Watson worked from 16 Fenton Road, Durban from the 1950's to 1970's, he was described as Engraver and Manufacturing Jeweller. The spoons are in their original box, with paper label of Dick King above Trademark and Sterling Silver, the box in working condition, bu...

A late 17th century Augsburg silver brandy bowl, with a beautiful embossed scene in high relief. The bowl is the traditional shape, a scalloped oval dish with 2 scroll handles, with the base and sides embossed in great detail. The base features a basket of fruit, flowers and nuts in abundance, under 2 flying doves holding a laurel wreath, below rays (we assume to signify God looking down on a bountiful harvest). The sides are embossed with scrolls, the sides are also gilded, with quite a bit or original gilding still present, the base has no gilding. The bowl is clearly hallmarked with the Augsburg town mark of a pyr (pinecone), not a pineapple as sometimes described. The bowl is also hallmarked with an indistinct makers mark, we think PL (all assistance welcome), and a well defined assay scrape (zigzag).