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 very fine pair of Georgian silver barrel shaped beakers by the well known Bateman family; Peter, Ann and William. The beakers are patterned as half barrels, complete with individual staves and the hoops to hold them in place. This set is not intended to fit together to form a single barrel, as is sometimes the case with this form, they do not have the push-fit rim, and the crests are both aligned the same way (one crest would have been reversed if intended to fit together). The beakers are very good quality, a satisfying gauge and weight, they have a lovely feel in the hand, suitable for use (with a fine scotch whisky!). Both beakers have an interesting family crest, a dragons head above a Ducal coronet, between feathered wings, the engraving is crisp. This crest can be associated with the Dalton, Draycott and Codrington families. Peter Bateman was Hester Bateman's 2nd son, Ann Bateman was married to his brother Jonathan (who unfortunately died young in 1791), and Willam was the son of Ann and Jonathan. T...

A delightful and attractive silver miniature replica tankard, commemorating the 600th anniversary of the founding of the Merchant Taylors Company in 1327. The tankard is a replica of an original Irish tankard with Dublin hallmarks for 1680. The tankard has acanthus and laurel leaf embossing to the lower body, as well as an embossed cross and floral design on the base. The lid has a scrolled thumbpiece, and the flat stepped lid is decorated with the figure of a mans head (very unusual), with a circular band of decoration. The tankard also has a well engraved coat of arms of the Merchant Taylors Company, with motto "Concordia Parvae Res Crescunt" (In Harmony Small Things Grow), and "Merchant Taylors Co 1st Charter 1327" engraved underneath. The Merchant Taylors Company is one of the 12 great London livery companies. They are based in the Merchant Taylors Hall (Threadneedle Street & Cornhill), they have occupied this location since 1347. They are now a philanthropical social organisation. The tankard contains a ...

A Victorian silver wine bottle stand, with blank central cartouche (suitable for engraving), with embossed shell and scroll decoration, raised edge and 4 very ornate scrolling feet. It is a good weight and is good quality, and suitable for use. The base is engraved "Hunt & Roskell, Late Storr & Mortimer, 8095". The sterling lion, town mark, date letter and duty mark are clear, but the makers mark is very faint and barely visible (although not necessary with the full name engraved on the base). Hunt & Roskell were the most prestigious silversmiths of Victorian England, having descended from Paul Storr, the most famous of English silversmiths. They were silversmiths and jewellers to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and had an important display at the Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1865 it was recorded that they were the largest holders of precious stones in Europe (John Culme, Directory of Gold & Silversmiths, pg 245).

Two rare Georg Jensen sterling silver items designed by Count Sigvard Bernadotte for Georg Jensen in the 1930's. The first is a cigarette cup, design number 825A, and the second is a candy dish, design number 825 (both items carry the design number on the base). Both have the same simple but elegant design, and rest on the same arch patterned foot. Both items are hallmarked "Georg Jensen, Denmark Sterling, 925S", and both have the designers signature "Sigvard" along with the pattern number described above. Count Sigvard Bernadotte, often referred to as "The Design Prince of Sweden", lived between 1907 and 2002. He was the son of King Gustav VI of Sweden, Great Grandson of Queen Victoria, and Uncle to Denmark's Queen Margrethe II. Originally Prince Sigvard, he lost his title when he married a commoner. He spent his career as a designer, not only in silver but ceramics, glass, plastics, furniture and even logos. He co-founded the Swedish Society of Industrial Designers (SVID), and his designs can be found in ma...

A magnificent and rare Dutch silver tea caddy, octagonal with baluster shape, with pull off domed lid with 4 sided pointed terminal. The caddy has lovely decoration, combining flowers, shells and acanthus leaves in a simple but effective style. The decoration is all hand engraved, and is a little crude. The caddy is well made and is a good weight, individual hammer marks can be seen on the inside. The caddy is quite small, as is usual for these early octagonal baluster tea caddies, when tea was an expensive commodity. Tea would have been poured from the caddy directly into the teapot, this style pre-dates caddy spoons (Delieb, Investing in Silver, pg 27, where an English version of similar style to this caddy is depicted). The hallmarks are clear and include date letter V for 1754, makers mark V.M in heart for Andreas Cornelis Muller (Schadee, Zilverschatten, Drie Eeuwen Rotterdams Zilver, pg 233), citymark for Rotterdam, Dutch lion assay mark (935 silver, this is higher grade silver than sterling 925 stand...

A Scottish silver quaich of traditional shape, and medium in size. It is quite plain but very good quality, and a pleasing weight. The base is engraved "Brook & Son, 87 George St, Edinburgh", and the hallmarks, including makers mark B&S, are clear. The quaich is a traditional Scottish drinking vessel, the large sized ones were passed around at ceremonial occasions. They are popular christening presents in Scotland.

A good quality antique silver replica of what is commonly referred to as "The Tudor Cup", which became famous when it was sold (as part of the Dunn-Gardner collection) at Christies auction in 1901 for GBP 4100, the highest price ever paid for a piece of silver at that time. John Dunn-Gardner, of Soham Manor, had a legendary collection of silver, the sale covered 6 volumes. The original cup of 1521, with scallop shell makers mark, is also known as the Holms cup, named after a previous owner. The original cup is now part of the collection of the Royal Scottish Museum, who purchased it in 1958 for GBP 9500. The museum's resources were augmented by the National Art Collection's fund, the Pilgrim Trust, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, H.M. Treasury and 2 private donors, enabling the cup to be kept in Great Britian (Ian Finlay, Silver in the Royal Scottish Museum, Connoisseur June 1959), where the original cup is pictured. The original cup is also pictured in the book "Old London Silver" by Howard (pg 100). ...

A lovely antique silver child's porringer, in traditional Queen Anne style, although it was made in Georgian times. The porringer has a central cartouche with script initials MB, which are Victorian in style so would have been added by a later owner. The porringer is decorated with curved lobes and flutes, and the cartouche is surrounded by foliage. The porringer also has punched floral decoration, and the S shaped handles are banded. The gauge is quite thin, more suited for display than for use. The base of the porringer is engraved "RB over IG, 1769", in contemporary engraving, indicating the porringer could have originally been a wedding present, or a christening present for a child born the following year. Porringers of the small (child's size) size are quite rare, few have survived. The hallmarks are very clear, and although the makers mark punch has some wear, it is still legible.

A Spanish silver porringer, inset with a Spanish eight reale coin (one of the famous "pieces of eight") dated 1618, the reign of Philip III (1578-1621). The porringer is hand beaten, with the individual hammer marks clearly visible, creating an attractive pattern. The rim is folded over, and the cast flat handle has a scrolling design. The handle is quite crudely cast, we believe a sign of age. We have dated the porringer 17th century to co-incide with the date of the coin, but it could be later, with an old coin inset. The coin is well preserved on both sides. The reverse reads "Hispania RVM REX 1618" (King of the Spanish), with 2 castles and lion rampants in quatrefoil design (Arms of Castile & Leon). The obverse has the crowned Hapsburg shield, with the Segovia aqueduct mint mark and assayer initial A to the left, and VIII (8 reales) demarcation to the right. It reads "Philippus III DG". The porringer has 4 hallmarks, but given their proximity to the rim are only partially struck, so they are not clearly ...

An antique silver picture frame, in Art Nouveau form, depicting 3 farm workers in the fields cutting hay with scythes, with a village church in the background, with the motto "Peace hath her victories, Milton". The quote by Milton (1608-1674) apparently in a letter to Lord General Cromwell, is the first line of a sonnet "Peace hath her victories, no less renowned than war". This line is amongst the most remembered of Milton's work. The hallmarks are small but clear, and the frame also has a registration number (to protect the design being copied). This frame has a new black velvet backing professionally done, the original velvet backings on these antique picture frames is often in very poor condition. With the new backing, this frame is suitable for daily use and display.

An important Royal silver brandy saucepan, which was given by Queen Victoria to her grandson Prince Christian Victor (Christle) of Schleswig-Holstein in 1868 as a christening present. The quality of the saucepan is excellent, it is the usual bulbous shape with a spout and turned ivory handle. It has a detachable domed lid, with a hinged projection for covering the spout, and an ivory and silver finial. The interior is gilt, it sits on a raised foot and has the traditional heart shaped join between body and handle. The saucepan and lid are both decorated with scrolling foliage and flowers, which is beautifully engraved. The lid fits snugly, the hinge is excellent, and the handle and finial are firmly secure. The saucepan is engraved "From his Grandmama Victoria R, 14 April 1868" on the front, the back has a scrolling foliate cartouche with the engraved initials "CV" below a coronet. The hallmarks are very clear, and are accompanied by the number 113 struck into the base (perhaps a pattern number?). The base al...

A silver quaich of traditional shape, with 2 flat lug handles, and quite a large size. It is quite plain, which accentuates its lovely shape. The base is engraved "H.H. Plante, 12 Bury St, St James, S.W.", and the hallmarks are very clear. Quaiches are traditional Scottish drinking vessels, one's this size were passed around at ceremonial occasions. They are popular christening gifts in Scotland. The firm of H.H. Plante (Henry Hudson Plante) worked between 1907 and 1980.

A charming Cape silver snuffbox, retangular in form, and quite small in size. It is decorated with typically Cape engraving, generally a crude series of lines and dots. The cover is quite unusual, having a central shield cartouche (engraved "MMM Le R 1851") surrounded by 2 Scottish thistles - this design is very rare on Cape silver. The surname "Le R" (possibly Le Roux?) is probably French Huguenot in origin, the Scottish thistles are a mystery. The sides of the box have a zig-zag design, the base a blank rectangular design. The interior is gilded, and the base of the interior has an engraved sunburst design. The hallmarks are on the rim of the lid, and consist of makers initials JJV surrounded by 2 acorn devices (Welz mark 159). They are quite small but clear and well struck, but given the location difficult to see. JJ Vos was one of the last 2 surviving Cape Silversmiths, he worked between 1841 and 1882 (Welz).

A Georgian silver Christening mug, in the shape of a barrel, decorated with reeded bands. The interior is gilt, and the handle is also decorated with reeded bands. This type of Christening mug was popular between 1800 and 1820 (Waldron, Price Guide to Antique Silver, pg 190). The hallmarks are clear with the exception of the makers mark, which is only partially visible. The first letter T is clear, but the second letter is worn (could be D, P or R).

A Victorian silver commemorative trowel with ivory handle, of very good quality, with presentation inscription surrounded by scrolling foliage and flowers. The inscription reads "To commemorate the laying of the first stone of the New University of Cape Town by Mrs William Hawke, 28th February 1925". William Hawke of Hawke and McKinley was the architect responsible for the Groote Schuur campus of UCT, a magnificent set of buildings still in use today. UCT is ranked today as one of South Africa's leading universities. The hallmarks are very clear. Atkin Brothers was in business from 1853 to 1958, when they were taken over by CJ Vander Ltd. William Hawke and his partner W McKinley were trained and worked in the UK, Hawke worked in the London Admirality Office of Works, where he assisted with the design of the Simonstown sanatorium (now Naval Signal School). They had a flair for prize winning designs, and in 1905 they won first premium for the Cape of Good Hope University buildings (later UCT). They moved to Ca...

A lovely commemorative Scottish silver box, beautifully engraved on the lid with 3 different armorials. The sides of the box are decorated with an attractive flower, leaf and bow design, and the interior is silver gilt. The inscription reads "From Friends at Archers Hall to Charles Stewart, Match Secretary, 1891-1901, 22nd October 1901." Archers Hall was built in 1777 for the Royal Company of Archers, the oldest surviving company of longbowmen in Britain. Today a private club, they provide the bodyguard for the sovereign in Scotland (ceremonial today). Members must be Scottish, and are drawn from politicians, military officers and nobility. They compete annually for the "Edinburgh Arrow". The central coat of arms, with motto "Nobilis Ira" (Noble Wrath), has the shield topped with Peers helmet and demi lion rampant. This is the coat of arms of the Stewarts. The armorial to the left is the Royal coat of arms as used in Scotland, but unusually with the English motto "Dieu et Mon Droit" (God and my Right). The 3...

A Georgian silver baluster Christening mug, embossed with a delightful scene of a child sitting with a squirrel under trees, with a butterfly hovering overhead. Additional decoration includes a variety of flowers and scrolling foliage. The double scroll handle is capped with an acanthus leaf scroll, and the spreading base is gadrooned. The mug is engraved "EW, The Gift of his Grandmother, Mrs Walton", and the interior is gilded. Joseph Angell I was the first member of the Angell family of silversmiths, described by Pickford as "very fine 19th century family of goldsmiths" (Jacksons hallmarks). The makers mark, lion and London town mark are very clear, the date letter and duty mark are worn but still legible. 1821 is the year the London townmark leopard's head lost his crown.

A delightful Hanau silver box, the lid and sides decorated with embossed panels, including bowl of flowers, musical instruments, laurel wreath and claret jug, complete with goblet and grapes. The panels are bordered with a floral leaf design. The interior of the box is gilt. The box has a very clear set of Hanau pseudo hallmarks, which have been described as amongst the "most difficult and confusing area of silver hallmark study", as the marks were never registered and no records exist. The marks include pseudo crowned leopards head (Scheffler 538), pseudo lion passant (Scheffler 540) and pseudo dolphin (Scheffler 534). The small mark is genuine, being the Austro-Hungarian mark for imported articles between 1901 and 1921 (Tardy, pg 75). The mark, which also appears on the lid, has a capital B, indicating the city of Lienz. The Hanau silversmiths specialised in antique reproductions, generally of very good quality, so much so they often exhibited at international expositions. Gebruder Dingeldein was founded i...

A Victorian silver miniature replica of a porringer, probably intended as a toy. The porringer is typical 17th century style, with gadrooned and punched dot decoration, and scrolling handles. Daniel and John Wellby specialised in fine copies of early pieces (Pickford, Jackson's Hallmarks). The hallmarks are clear with the exception of the makers mark, which is partially worn but still identifiable.