A set of 3 Fiddle pattern Cape silver tablespoons, which are notable for their strong colonial feel, being slightly crude in nature, and with hand hammered stems. Each spoon is slightly different, clearly each spoon was made by hand, probably in primitive conditions. The drops are also crude, and have an amateurish feel, perhaps these were made by a novice apprentice? All 3 spoons have pseudo hallmarks, date letter a, date letter B and duty head, with no makers mark. The shape of the outline of date letter B is notched on both sides, making it very distinctive - hence our attribution to Peter Clarke Daniel (mark 41, Cape Silver by Welz). Mark 41 has the 2 date letters (a and B) together, with the duty mark - given the outline and occurrance we are pretty certain the same punches were used, but perhaps not by Peter Daniel himself. Further research is required, as we know Cape silversmiths occasionally interchanged punches amongst one another.
Lovely set of German 800 silver teaspoons, probably produced for a 3rd Reich organisation, of very good quality and weight, with an attractive scrolling border an an unusual crest. The crest is an angel, a young girl in traditional dress with angels wings, holding a shield containing a crown over 2 crossed arrows and circle. We have been informed that this is a Hitler Youth crest, but as this is not our area of expertise we cannot confirm that. We would welcome any views or comments, and hope we are not offending anyone in the event that it is a Hitler Youth crest. The hallmarks are clear, makers mark HTB, actually H hammer B, for the Hanseatische Silberwarenfabrik AG of Bremen, Germany. It was founded by 2 Bremen jewellers, Brinkmann & Lange, and produced flatware between 1933 and 1937, when it was absorbed into Wilkens. They were approved suppliers to the German 3rd Reich, RZM mark no. 241 of the NSDAP, and are known to have supplied a number of different military organisations.
Unusual and beautiful Fiddle pattern serving spoon and fork. The spoon bowl is an unusual oval shape. Forks of this size are rare, serving sets even more so. Beautiful stags head crest and clear hallmarks.
A set of 3 Irish Provincial silver dessert forks in the Fiddle pattern, made by Richard Garde of Cork in 1835. The forks are all engraved with a family crest of a Griffin, above engraved owners initials (possibly GT in script), the engraving is on the back of the forks, showing they were placed facing down on the table during those times. The forks are all clearly hallmarked, makers mark R.G, mark 86, page 191, Collecting Irish Silver by Douglas Bennett (a book we highly recommend). The crowned harp, Hibernia and date letter P are all clear, one duty mark is clear and 2 duty marks are worn but still visible. The Dublin Goldsmiths company passed an act in 1807 requiring the Kings head to be stamped on all plate made in Ireland. As this could only be done in Dublin, it forced the provincial goldsmiths to start sending silver to Dublin for hallmarking. Garde, who worked in Cork between 1824 and 1845, was presumably the son of silversmith Phineas Garde, who complied intermittently with the Dublin act. The Act sha...
A fabulous Belle Epoque French silver 950 standard sugar sifter in the Empire pattern, made by renowned Parisian silversmith Emile Puiforcat. The quality is very pleasing, as you would expect from Puiforcat, with an intricate pierced design and gilded bowl, and double struck Empire pattern handle, with swan finial, foliage and wreathes. The cartouche has not been engraved. Two hallmarks are present in the bowl, both clearly struck, makers mark EP in diamond lozenge, with penknife (un canif) between the letters, and French Minerve 1st Standard mark, with 1 next to forehead, indicating 950 purity (so higher purity than sterling 925). An additional partial mark can be seen on the bowl exterior, this is a French Bigorne insect countermark, struck opposite the guarantee mark, to prevent fraud. Emile Puiforcat established his business in 1857 at 18 Rue Chapon, it still exists today and is known as one of the leading French silver producers.
An interesting set of 6 Art Deco sterling silver sandwich flags, perfectly preserved in their original box. The silver flags are accompanied by 20 double sided interchangeable plastic flag names, these include: - caviare, tomato& cheese, smoked salmon,beef, cucumber, sardine, anchovy,chicken, egg& anchovy, egg, ham, cheese, tomato, lobster, cress, smoked roe, crab, banana, tongue and fish. The flags themselves are good quality, ivory in colour (sometimes described as ivorine, certainly intended to imitate ivory) with clear black lettering, all 20 are in good condition. The flags can be interchanged according to the menu. It is interesting to see what would have been on the sandwich menu in 1929, caviare, smoked roe and lobster, but also banana! All 6 flags are fully hallmarked, clearly legible on 5 flags, one flag has indistinct marks. All 6 flags are also marked "Made in England", alongside a provisional patent number "Pro/ Pt 33279/28" and design registration number "Rd 742069". Adolph Scott worked between...
A lovely pair of Victorian silver fish servers, beautifully decorated with an unusual sea horse design (actual horses with mermaid tails). The decoration is pierced and very finely engraved. The servers consist of a fish slice and serving fork in the Fiddle, Thread and Shell pattern. The set is good quality, and has a substantial feel when used. They have been beautifully preserved in their original felt and silk lined box, we get the impression they have never been used. The box itself is intact, with hinge and clasp in full working order, but the box is a little battered and worn, with remnants of an old label on the lid - acceptable given its 160 year age. The hallmarks are well struck and very clear on both items. John Stone was a well regarded Exeter silversmith who worked between 1825 and 1867, from 30 Bridge Street, Exeter, he produced many items of flatware. He registered his mark in London in 1844 (Culme, Directory of Gold and Silversmiths, pg 436), perhaps he wanted his finer items to have London ra...
A modern reproduction of the rare "eagle's wing" caddy spoon, amongst the most collectable and desirable of all caddy spoons. The original versions of this spoon were produced by Joseph Willmore and Matthew Linwood in Birmingham circa 1815. It was also copied by George Unite in Birmingham circa 1865 (see John Norie Collection of Caddyspoons - Woolley & Wallis, 2004). John Norie himself described the eagles wing caddyspoon as "the most revered and sought after of all specimens" in his definitive book on the subject. This is a cast spoon (cast marks can be seen on the base), and is very good quality and gauge, and pleasing to hold. The plumage is textured and the hallmarks are very clear. The eagle's wing caddy spoon is the emblem of the Society of Caddy Spoon Collectors, who recently published the book "The Caddy Spoon in the 20th Century", with the eagles wing featured on the back cover. They note that Thomas Bradbury & Sons reproduced the eagle's wing caddyspoon (page 18) along with other traditional spoons,...
A very interesting silver drum salt, designed by Alex Styles and retailed through Garrard, to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the Goldsmiths Company in 1977. The body is decorated with a fabulous interpretation of the Goldsmiths Company Arms, and the dates 1327-1977. The arms (granted in 1571) include quartered leopards head and covered cup with 2 buckles, and a stylized demi-virgin (thought to possibly be Queen Elizabeth I) holding the scales (balances) of Justice and a touchstone, both used for testing precious metals. The armorial is supported by 2 unicorns (representing purity), and the motto JUSTITIA VIRTUTUM REGINA, latin for "Justice is Queen of Virtues". The design has been photo-etched onto the silver, a modern technique which we think does justice to the armorial. The Goldsmiths company is one of the 12 great Livery companies of London, they were granted Royal Charter in 1327. The Leopards head (actually a lion but in 1327 the word for lion and leopard was the same) comes from the Royal standar...
A wonderful collection of 10 silver and enamel continental souvenir spoons, 8 of which are gilded. 6 spoons have enamelled bowls, all 10 have enamelled finials. Eight of the spoons commemorate German towns, while one is Romanian and one is Danish. The spoons include Leipzig Altes Rathaus, Berlin Reichstagsgebaude, Nurnberg Bratwurstglocklein, Chemnitz Rathaus, Augsberg, Rheinfall, Tirol Kitzbuhel, Nuppertal, Kobenhavn and Bucuresti Managtireacurteadearges. All ten spoons are clearly hallmarked with grade and makers mark, eight spoons are 800 grade, 1 is 930 (Copenhagen) and one is 935 (Tirol).
An exceptionally large Danish silver serving spoon, in the Old Danish pattern (Dobbelt riflet), wih matching large bowl. The spoon is single struck, the pattern has a reeded edge, and the handle is fluted. This type of extremely large serving spoon is unique to Denmark, very suitable for serving a generous portion. The hallmarks include the Danish 3 towers mark (well struck but date letter not visible), makers mark VELTZIN, and an additional mark which reads 13L4G, which we think is a standard mark for 13 loth silver (812 purity). The makers mark Veltzin appears rare, we have not been able to trace this maker, or confirm the meaning of the 13L4G mark, all assistance welcome. We have sold a similar spoon S1293, and have a similar example S 11029. Note - a collector has now shared images of his spoon, very similar to this spoon, also hallmarked Veltzin but alongside makers mark CW - we agree with the collector that Veltzin is probably a retailers mark.
A lovely antique 9 Carat rose gold Albert Chain bracelet, of exceptional quality. This has been converted into a bracelet from a Gentleman's Albert chain, used to hold his pocket watch in place, named after Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. The links are gradated, with each link either slightly larger (or smaller) than the one next to it, the largest links are in the centre of the bracelet (0.8 cm across), the smaller at the end (0.6 cm). The original gold T-bar hangs from a few links off the end of the chain, so it hangs freely when the bracelet is closed. The gold has a noticeable lovely reddish tinge, hence our description rose gold, which is usually associated with Welsh gold. What marks this chain as exceptional quality is that each and every link is hallmarked, some more clearly than others, with the 9 carat mark (9.375). The T-bar has the same 9.375 mark, plus makers mark E.W&S for E Whitehouse and Sons, who worked in 1902, from Vyse Street, Birmingham. The shepherds hook clasp, which ensures a...
A rare Victorian silver postal scale, in full working order. The scale is intended for measuring postal items, so that the correct postage could be applied. This scale would have been used in a wealthy household, not a Post Office. The front is engraved "Postal Scale" on top, on the side "Postal Union Rates 2 1/2 d for each 1/2 ounce." To the left is engraved "English Rates" above measuring scale from 1d - 4d in 1/2 increments. To the right are 2 measures, 1 marked "LB" for pounds (scale 0 to 1 LB), to the right "OZ" for ounces measuring from 1-16. The engraving is exquisite, this is a lovely item. The base is rectangular with a Chippendale rim. The scale also has a knob (for adjusting scale) behind the pan, and a silver screw for opening the scale. The side of the scale is fully hallmarked, a registration number RD 308820, is also present. The top pan is also hallmarked, these are worn from polishing. Levi & Salaman were established in 1870, they were known for their high quality silver novelties...
Lovely set of Kings pattern (with diamond point) Cape tableforks, of very good quality and gauge - the forks are 100 grams each, very heavy to hold. Cape flatware in Kings pattern is fairly rare, the most prevalent patterns being Fiddle and Old English. These forks all have the same English pseudo hallmarks (leopards head, date letter A, duty mark and lion, Welz mark 135), struck by the same punch in the same workshop. However, 4 have the maker mark LT (Twentyman), and two have the makers mark FW (Waldek). This is not unusual, as Waldek worked for Twentyman, and probably took over the business when Twentyman departed for India, circa 1835.
Pair of Old English serving spoons of good gauge, with a nice feel.They are perfect for use as heavy duty serving spoons. They have an interesting crest of a tulip in front of 2 crossed crosses, each cross arm bearing another cross. Hallmarks very clear.
Gilt, engine turned vinaigrette with original sponge and very good hinge. Engraved "J Lang, 1835". Grille has flowers set amongst scrolling foliage.
An Irish Georgian silver basting spoon, in the Fiddle pattern, with a wonderful engraved family crest of a unicorn, this engraving is very clear. The spoon is quite large, with a generous sized serving bowl. The unicorn engraved family crest can be described as "a unicorn's head, couped, maned and horned", this is the family crest of the Cunningham family (or Conyngham), we think the Irish part of the family used Conyngham, whilst their Scottish counterparts used Cunningham. The spoon has 4 hallmarks, the crowned harp, Hibernia (Dublin marks) and date letter I for 1805 are clear and well struck. We note the punch shape on these marks is cavetto, with indented corners, more usually seen in the 1820's with Dublin hallmarks, but the absence of the Duty mark confirms a date before 1807. The makers mark JP is clear, but is overstriking another mark that is no longer visible. John Power worked between 1792 and 1819, from Trinity Place, Dublin, his father and son were also silversmith.
An Irish Provincial silver serving spoon made by Richard Garde of Cork, but hallmarked in Dublin in 1835. The spoon also has a rare retailers mark "R. CAVE", who is currently classified as unknown with location unknown, but as this mark has only been seen on silver by Richard Garde we can assume he was a Cork retailer. The spoon is Fiddle pattern with a Rat-tail, which is only seen on Irish silver during this period. The spoon is engraved with original owners initials WMC in script. The hallmarks are all very clear, the retailers mark could not be better. Given it's large size we have classified this spoon as a serving spoon, but it could have been a large tablespoon - it is certainly suitable for use as a serving spoon.
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 set of 4 George VI Old English pattern dessert forks, made in London by leading makers the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company, but with an engraved Ducal crest of the Newton family of Dunleckney, County Carlow, Ireland. The forks are excellent quality and a pleasing weight, and are in excellent condition. The engraved crest of boars head above Ducal coronet (with strawberry leaves) with 2 ostrich feathers is crisply engraved with no wear. All 4 forks have clear hallmarks, including makers mark for Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company Limited, based in Regent Street from 1880-1952, when they were incorporated into Garrards, the Crown Jeweller. These forks were made a few years after the death of Capt. Sydney Vesey, Kings Royal Rifle Corps (1873-1932), who inherited Dunleckney in 1927, his widow Edith Blanch Vesey sold Dunleckney in 1942. Note - we have spoons with the same family crest, S11388 and S11389.
