A delightful 18th century Dutch silver miniature teapot, spherical in shape, with S shaped spout, scrolling handle, and original lid. It is excellent quality and in very good condition. A very similar spherical miniature teapot can be found in the V&A museum in London. It is depicted in the book "Miniature Silver Toys" by Victor Houart, pg 67, this teapot was made in 1758. The base is recessed, so the hallmarks are well preserved - Amsterdam town mark, and makers mark for Johannes Van Geffen (hunting horn within heart under crown). The makers mark overstrikes the date letter, but sufficient can be seen to determine that it can only be the Z of 1784. This teapot seems to match the miniature milk jug, S 1575, also made by van Geffen in the same year. Johannes van Geffen, grandson of Arnoldus van Geffen, worked between 1766 and 1798.

A fabulous set of six Georgian Silver Old English table spoons by Hester Bateman, the most famous of all English female silversmiths. The spoons are bottom marked, and the hallmarks are slightly squashed but clearly visible. The spoons have a double drop. The spoons are excellent quality and are in extremely good condition, this is a lovely set. The spoons also have a interesting family crest, an armoured fist holding a dagger. Hester Bateman took over her husband's business on his death in 1760, and retired in 1790 when her sons, Peter and Jonathan took over the business.

A pair of Georgian silver wine labels, engraved "Madeira" and "Teneriffe". They are rectangular in shape, with a reeded border, and are complete with their original chains. Both are fully hallmarked, with makers mark DH for Daniel Hockly, duty mark, lion passant and date letter P for 1810. Daniel Hockly is an interesting silversmith, he started his career in London, entering a mark as a smallworker in 1810, it seems he specialised in wine labels. In 1819 he boarded a ship with his family and sailed for the Cape Colony, as part of the wave of English settlers (now known as the 1820 Settlers). He continued working as a silversmith in the Cape, he is known to have worked in Grahamstown and Graaf Reinet. His most famous work is the staff of office made for Andries Waterboer, Chief of the Griquas (Heller, Cape Silver, pg 62). It is currently in the 1820 Settlers Memorial Museum (a picture can be seen in Cape Silver by Welz, pg 94). Hockly was born in 1787, he sailed for the Cape in the ship Chapman with his wife a...

A fabulous pair of Cape silver tablespoons in the old English pattern, with a beautifully engraved contemporary family crest, a rabbit or hare jumping over a rock. The spoons are good quality and weight, and are well preserved. Both are struck with makers mark IC for Johannes Combrink, one is very clear, the other is slightly worn. The spoon terminals have a strong turn and rib on the back, and an unusual shaped drop, very colonial in style. We have not identified the family crest (suggestions welcome), perhaps Haas or Haasbroek? This pair are amongst our favourite Cape silver items, they are lovely spoons.

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 rare pair of American Coin silver Fiddle pattern sugar tongs, made by John Ewan of Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1830. The tongs are plain, with no engraving, and have traditionally shaped rounded bowls. The tongs have very clear hallmarks on both arms, makers mark "J Ewan" in serrated rectangle, and pseudo English crowned leopards head and lion passant (both very quaint!). John Ewan lived between 1786 and 1852, he is believed to have produced silver between 1823 and 1852 (Ensko, American Silversmiths and their Marks, pg 294). Of interest is that these hallmarks are depicted in Wyler (The Book of Old Silver), where he incorrectly describes them as Jamaican (pg 207). Coin silver is the term used to describe silver produced in America from early Colonial times until just after the Civil war, when the Sterling standard was adopted. As the name describes, the source was European silver coins, which were melted down.

A highly unusual Chinese Export silver tablespoon in the Fiddle pattern, complete with "pseudo English" hallmarks, used by Linchong of Canton, alongside Indian Colonial silver hallmarks, used by R.S. of Calcutta. The hallmarks are clear, and include the pseudo lion passant, crowned leopards head, date letter L and duty mark as used by Linchong of Canton, who made silver in the Georgian style. The Indian Colonial marks include makers mark RS (unidentified) and a tallymark (No. 18, Indian Colonial Silver, Wilkinson), the tallymark is thought to identify the journeyman who completed the piece. One possible scenario is that the spoon was produced in Canton, and imported into Calcutta, India by RS, who was possibly a retailer only. We would be interested in hearing other opinions on this unusual spoon. This very spoon and it's hallmarks is depicted in the book "Indian Colonial Silver" by Wynyard Wilkinson, page 116, where the author noted the lack of connection of the marks, but did not identify the maker Linchong...

A rare and lovely set of Fiddle pattern Cape silver tablespoons, by a rare maker whose work is seldom seen. The spoons are very good quality and weight, and are well preserved, these are substantial spoons. The drop is an unusual shape, has a colonial flavour. The hallmarks are excellent on all 4 spoons, makers mark JH in script and a device that looks like a bishops hat (mark 50 in Welz, Cape Silver). Heegers was born in the Cape in 1778, and worked between 1814 and 1830. In 1814-1816 he was recorded as a silversmith at 6 Roze street, and in 1829-1830 he was recorded as a silversmith in Graaff-Reinet, working with his brother Theodorus. A covered sugar bowl by Johannes Heegers is in the National Cultural History museum, depicted on pg 101 of Cape Silver by Welz.

A provincial silver trefid spoon, made in Exeter in 1714. The spoon has an oval bowl, rat-tail with ribs, a flat stem and the traditionally shaped end with 2 clefts, with a slight upturn. The spoon is engraved "MH 1707" on the back of the spoon, the MH are co-joined, and the engraving is contemporary. During this period spoons were placed on the table bowl down, hence the engraving on the back. The spoon is quite light, as is often the case with provincial spoons, but in very good condition, given its age. The spoon has 5 hallmarks, makers mark MA co-joined, 3 turreted castle (Exeter town mark), Brittania (very worn), lions head erased (used in Exeter between 1701 and 1720 to denote Britannia silver, which is higher grade than Sterling), and date letter O in shield for 1714. The makers mark appears to be MA co-joined, but could also be read the other way around (?W). We now believe this to be the mark of John Manley I of Dartmouth, who entered his mark in Exeter in 1705 (See mark 86, West Country Spoons and t...

A pair of Royal silver belt buckles, bearing the coat of arms of the House of Bourbon, which produced Kings and Queens for both France and Spain for hundreds of years. The central shield contains 3 Fleur-De-Lys, this was established by King Charles VI of France (who died in 1422) in honour of the Holy Trinity. The shield is topped by the Royal crown, and is surrounded by scrolls. The shield also has a "Golden Fleece" suspended from it, indicating membership of the Order of the Golden Fleece, which was established in 1430 by the Duke of Burgundy. The order still exists today, most European Royalty, including Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and King Juan Carlos of Spain are members. The buckles are stamped, and both have a silver bar for attachment to a belt. The bars are both hallmarked with 2 hallmarks. The first is a cross pattee (Maltese Cross) in circular punch, which has arms that are narrow at the centre and broader at the perimeter. This cross was used by the Knights Templar during the Crusades. The cross...

A magnificent Scottish Georgian silver punch ladle, by one of the finest Scottish silversmiths of the period. The ladle has a circular bowl, finely decorated with bunches of grapes and vine leaves, the decoration is truly a work of art. The ladle has a lip which is also decorated, similar to a gadroon pattern. The handle is held in place with a traditional heart shaped plaque, this has a previous owners initials lightly scratched into it, hardly visible but a nice addition. The silver handle is also decorated with grapes and vine leaf. The original handle is wood, which has been turned into an attractive shape. The ladle is finished with a silver knob and cap, also decorated in the same fine grape and vine pattern. The ladle is a generous size and weight, is very good quality, and is in superb condition. The hallmarks are very slightly worn but still clearly visible, and include the Glasgow town mark, lion rampant, date letter G, duty mark and makers mark RG&S. Robert Gray worked in Glasgow from 1776, adding ...

A very rare Cape Silver konfyt (preserve) fork, in the Feather Edge pattern. The fork has makers mark DHS, well struck and clear, along with a bunch of grapes with vine leaves in a circular punch (mark 109 in Cape Silver by Welz). Schmidt arrived in the Cape from Strelitz, Germany, as a soldier in 1768. He worked as a sword cutler for the Dutch East India Company, and became a burgher and silversmith in 1779. He died in 1811 (Cape Silver by Welz, pg 139). He is described by David Heller (in his book History of Cape Silver) as the "greatest Cape silversmith". Heller goes so far to describe Schmidt as a "master craftsman, whose work can be compared to Paul Storr" (History of Cape Silver, pg 79).

A Cape silver konfyt (preserve) fork in the Fiddle pattern, with 3 tines. The only hallmark is the makers mark J.B which is clear, mark 16 in Cape Silver by Welz. Beyleveld was born in the Cape in 1792, he worked from Waterkant and Loop Street.

A delightful Georgian silver caddy spoon, heart shaped with a deep bowl, with a bifurcated stem, thread pattern and coffin end. The bifurcated stem is quire a fragile design, hence the old repair where the handle has been rejoined to the bowl. The spoon has very clear hallmarks in the bowl, as well as an additional makers mark on the handle. Matthew Linwood was a highly regarded silversmith described by Delieb as "produced some of the finest of all the Birmingham boxes" in his book "Silver Boxes". He is also well known for his caddy spoons. A very similar caddy spoon was part of the John Norie collection, depicted as lot 187 (Part 1, Woolley & Wallis, 2004). This particular spoon was made by Josiah Snatt in London 1801.

A Cape silver tablespoon in the Fiddle pattern, with pseudo English hallmarks. The spoon bowl is long and elegant, and the spoon is good quality and is pleasing to hold. The hallmarks are very clear (Welz mark 148 in Cape silver) and nicely detailed, even hair is visible on the duty mark, and the flag is visible on the castle. The base of the duty mark is cusped, and the makers mark LT is also clear.

A Georgian silver wine label, engraved "Madeira", by Daniel Hockly. The label is rectangular with a reeded border, and has its original chain. It is fully hallmarked, the hallmakrs are clear. Hockly emigrated to the Cape Colony as part of the 1820 Settlers, where he continued working as a silversmith, also using a DH makers mark. Hockly is mentioned as one of 5 wine label makers worthy of mention for the quality of their product amongst the new generation of specialists (Wine Labels, 1730-2003, pg 154)

An unusual pair of Fiddle pattern silver sugar tongs, with crude rounded shell grips. The pair is unusually large and heavy, and has flared and shaped arms, and a strong rounded bow. They are quite plain, with no monograms or decoration, besides the shape and shell grips. They are unusual, very unlike any of the sugartongs depicted in "Georgian Silver Sugar Tongs" by Graham Hodges, leading us to believe they are Colonial or Provincial. The only hallmarks are makers mark TH struck twice (once on each arm), the hallmarks are clear. The T is well cut, but the H is fat and less well defined in the punch. There appears to be a faint device between the letters, but this could be an imperfection in the punch. We have been unable to identify any Colonial makers with initials TH (but suggestions welcome!). However, one possible candidate for the TH makers mark is Theophilus Harvey of Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland, circa 1810. A fish server by Harvey, with only the TH makers mark in rectangular punch, is pictured in an a...

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 Chinese export silver dessert spoon and fork, in the Fiddle, Thread and Shell pattern. This pair is exceptionally good gauge, this is probably the heaviest dessert spoon and fork we have ever encountered, over 80 grams each, in fact heavier than many tablespoons and forks. They are typical of the good quality, early Chinese export silver that imitated the plain English Georgian silver styles. The hallmarks are clear on both, and include "pseudo English" crowned leopards head, duty mark and lion passant, along with makers mark CC. The lion hallmark punch is quite distinctive, the right hand edge merges with the back leg of the lion. CC is an unidentified silversmith who worked from Canton between 1800 and 1850, generally producing good quality silver.

A delightful silver vinaigrette, one of the smaller ones we have seen. The vinaigrette is decorated with an attractive, irregular pattern, and has a vacant cartouche. The grill is plain, with a light yellow gilding, the interior of the box has a lovely reddy gold gilding. The hallmarks are clear, and include Georgian duty mark, makers mark L&Co (Jackson pg 355), sterling lion, anchor town mark for Birmingham, and date letter X for 1821.The grill is also hallmarked with a lion, before the holes were stamped. The vinaigrette was an essential fashion accessory at the beginning of the 19th century, it contained scented vinegar on a sponge, used "to restore the sickly back to vigorous health" (Helliwell, Collecting small silverware, pg 148). Ledsam and Vale (1818-1826) are highly regarded makers, they were joined by Wheeler in 1826.

A set of Cape silver dessert forks in the Fiddle pattern, with engraved initials "WAM". These forks have a strong colonial feel, the shape and size differs from the traditional English Fiddle pattern. The forks are a small, delicate size, my better half describes them as "sweet". The hallmarks on all 8 forks are excellent, and consist of makers mark JT (with indent to top of makers mark) with individually struck pseudo English hallmarks (duty mark, lion passant, date letter a and tree), Welz mark 123 in Cape Silver. Townsend was described as "the most versatile of all the Cape English silversmiths" by Heller (pg 101).

A set of 5 Cape Silver tablespoons in the Fiddle pattern, with initials GHJ which are clearly engraved. The sppons have a chamfered edge (very Continental in style), and all 5 spoons have clear hallmarks (Welz mark 135). The marks include crowned leopards head, date letter a, duty mark and lion passant.

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 set of 2 Cape silver Fiddle pattern tablespoons, by a lesser known Cape silversmith whose work does not appear very often. The spoons are a slightly different length (being handmade) and have similar but different hallmarks, so they were probably made at different times. Both have makers mark DC in between two floral or star devices, but both the makers mark and devices have differences, indicating they were struck by different punches. One DC makers mark has separate DC, the other DC appears to be cojoined. The floral or star device was used by a number of Cape silversmiths, including Beets, Hockly, Lotter, Townsend, Twentyman and Vos. The makers mark DC between 2 stars is depicted in Heller's Cape Silver Vol 2 (pg 122), where it is shown as mark NMM15.

A rare pair of Chinese Export silver Fiddle pattern tablespoons, with a good set of pseudo-English hallmarks. The hallmarks include pseudo sterling lion, pseudo crowned leopard's head, makers mark YS and pseudo Georgian duty mark. One spoon has excellent marks, with good detail, the other spoon marks are still good, but have some wear. Chinese Export silver is "stylistically Anglo-American, of the late Georgian period, of fine workmanship and exceptionally heavy weight" - (Kernan, China Trade Silver - Checklists for Collectors Nov 1965) - these spoons are no exception. The website www.chineseexportsilver.com also notes that "Yatshing silver is always of a high standard".

A set of 6 Cape Silver tablespoons in the Fiddle pattern, with initials CIH over WAM. The initials CIH are older, the have more wear than the WAM initials, which would have been added later after a change of ownership of the spoons. All 6 spoons have excellent hallmarks, makers mark FW with the "Cape Stub" pseudo English hallmarks (see article on the Cape Stub in our articles section).

Basting spoon that was made in Bristol but hallmarked in Exeter. The spoon is a good weight, and has no wear in the bowl. The hallmarks are extremely clear, even including the workman's tallymark. A lovely spoon, ideal for use as a serving spoon. William Woodman of Bristol were one of England's largest flatware producers in their day.

A set of 4 Cape Silver dessert spoons in the Fiddle pattern, with initials ACI clearly engraved on each spoon. The spoons have pseudo English hallmarks (duty mark, castle and date letter C), this is mark 139 from Welz (Cape Silver). No makers mark is present, but we can be confident the maker is Lawrence Twentyman, as he was the only Cape silversmith to use these particular hallmarks. The hallmarks are clear on all 4 spoons.

A magnificent Cape silver gravy (also called basting or serving) spoon, in the Kings pattern, double struck with diamond heel. It has a lovely weight and is very good quality, this is one of the most substantial Cape silver spoons we have seen, and is suitable for regular use - in fact a spoon anyone would enjoy using. The hallmarks are very clear, makers mark LT for Lawrence Twentyman, and pseudo English hallmarks (leopards head, duty mark, date letter a and lion) - Welz mark 135, but in a different order. 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 set of five Cape silver tableforks in the Fiddle pattern, by the well regarded Cape silversmith Johannes Combrink. This set matches the 6 forks (item S 1480), and has the same engraved initials "FtW", and is by the same maker. The hallmarks are excellent on all 5 forks, makers mark IC and the Cape Stub mark (4 pseudo English marks struck together). This is mark 39 in Cape Silver by Welz, and includes lion passant, date letter A, duty mark and leopards head.

An attractive and dainty Georgian silver vinaigrette of very small dimensions, definitely made for a lady. It is engraved with a Scottish thistle on the base, and has a plain but decorative grill. The lid has a tiny cartouche surrounded by leaves in an oval design, the engraving is pretty but a bit chunky. The gilded grill has an unusual pierced pattern, done by hand, and the original sponge is still present. The hallmarks are very clear on both the lid and base, the grill is also hallmarked. Poole (Identifying Antique British Silver) identifies Bettridge working between 1817 and 1834, as this box is 1837 those dates must be considered erroneous. Bettridge is known for his fine quality silver boxes.

A set of Cape silver tableforks in the Fiddle pattern, by the well known Cape silversmith Johannes Combrink. The forks are engraved with the initials "FtW", which is attractively engraved. The forks are good quality and a pleasing weight, they are suitable for use. The hallmarks on all 6 forks are clear. Four forks have makers mark IC only (Welz mark 31 in Cape Silver), two have makers mark IC between 2 ladder devices (Welz mark 33). Johannes Combrink was born in the Cape in 1781, he married Aurelia Lotter in 1807 and died in 1853. He worked from Dorp Street.

A rare Cape silver berry teaspoon, in the Fiddle pattern, with gilded berried bowl and decorated handle. The spoon must be well travelled in it's early life, as the spoon was made in Cape Town circa 1830, and probably "berried" in London in mid to late Victorian times, when the practice of "berrying" was popular (this practice is unknown in Cape silver). Plain Georgian silver spoons were embossed and chased with fruit and foliate scrolls (Pickford, Silver Flatware, pg 70), and the bowl was gilded to complete the effect. The hallmarks are very clear, makers mark FW and pseudo English hallmarks (leopards head, date letter a, duty mark and lion passant), these are mark 163 (Cape silver by Welz). These are the same punches used earlier by Twentyman, Waldek took over Twentyman's shop and workshop in 1836.

A pair of Fiddle pattern toddy ladles, along with an Old English example, but all made by the same maker in the same year. Given Edinburgh hallmarks, the maker WC could be confused with William Cunningham of Edinburgh, but his makers mark is always in a shaped cartouche. The hallmarks on on all 3 are very clear. Note the switching of the order of the duty mark on the pair.

A rare Scottish provincial teaspoon from Dumfries, in the Old English pattern. The hallmarks include a fowled anchor, X, crown and MH (small) makers mark. The hallmarks have some wear but are still clearly visible, makers mark is very clear.

A rare Irish provincial silver toddy ladle made in Cork, but hallmarked in Dublin. The ladle is circular with a lip for pouring, and has a whale bone handle. The ladle is beautifully decorated, with embossed flowers, leaves and scrolls, on a stippled background. The pouring lip is decorated with a "sunburst" collar. The decoration is typical of the Irish silver of the 1820 period, with floral repousse (embossing) on a background stippled to a matt finish (Bennett, Collecting Irish Silver, pg 79). The whalebone handle is 4 sided, and has an unusual knop end, the circular knob set above silver banded decoration. The hallmarks are all very clear, including makers mark PG in oval outline (Cork mark no. 80 in Bennett). 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 1812 and 1845, appe...

A rare set of 6 Scottish Provincial teaspoons, with engraved initial J. They are an unusual pattern, Fiddle without shoulders, and the edges are bevelled. Each spoon is slightly different, clearly each spoon has been made individually by hand. Each spoon is hallmarked with 3 "pot of lilies" followed by makers mark WC. The marks on 3 spoons are excellent, well struck and very clear, on 2 the bottom right hand corner is not visible, and on 1 spoon the marks are partially visible (but the pot of lilies still clearly visible) - as is often found with makers individually struck by hand. The pot of lilies townmark (azure a pot of growing lilies argent) is taken from the arms of the Burgh of Dundee (Jackson pg 598). Each pot has 3 lilies and 2 handles clearly visible.

A rare Colonial (possibly Cape) silver salt spoon, in the Fiddle pattern. The spoon is struck twice with makers mark INCE, which is very distinct. The spoon is quite crudely made, slightly out of shape, it appears hand made in primitive conditions - hence our attribution to Colonial (possibly one of the smaller colonies, this spoon appears more primitive than those we see from the better known colonies). The makers mark INCE is recorded by Turner as unascribed Scottish Provincial (Directory of Scottish Provincial Silversmiths, pg 84), perhaps a tinker? Given the crudeness of manufacture we prefer a Colonial origin - all suggestions welcome! We now believe this spoon to be Cape Silver, the Ince mark has been seen on other items including spoons and a snuff box, that are believed to be Cape in style. In addition, this mark has been seen in conjunction with pseudo English hallmarks used by John Townsend.

A Scottish silver toddy ladle in the Fiddle pattern, with engraved initial W. We originally ascribed the WF&Co mark to William Fillan & Co. of Aberdeen, Fillan worked between 1829 and 1849 (thanks to Robert Massart who supplied this information). We have now been informed this is the mark of William Forrest and Co. of Edinburgh, who worked between 1829 and 1874 (see www.incorporationofgoldsmiths.co.uk). Our new source is currently writing a book on Aberdeen silversmiths, and believes that William Fillan only used WF along with ABD for Aberdeen. The hallmarks are clear. This mark is not included in Jacksons.

A lovely and early George II double lipped punch ladle, with twisted whalebone handle, of extremely good quality. It is a good gauge and weight, much heavier than many we have seen. The bowl is fluted and is a generous size, and is joined to the handle with a double scroll. The base of the ladle is engraved "G over J+E", the engraving is contemporary and done by hand. The hallmarks are clear, and include the unregistered makers mark EA (Grimwade 3534) with 2 dots above and 1 below. Whalebone was heated under pressure with steam until malleable, and then twisted into ornate spirals, which hardened and retained their design after cooling (Helliwell, Collecting Small Silverware, pg 76). Aldridge worked between 1724 and 1765 in Foster Lane. He was tried at the investigation of the Goldsmith's Company for counterfeiting marks in 1742, but was acquitted by the jury (Grimwade pg 421).

American coin silver tablespoon in the Old English pattern, with "long drop" usually associated with earlier Hanoverian pattern spoons. The tablespoon has the initials RB crudely engraved with an interesting device between them, quite attractive overall, has a Colonial feel. "Coin silver" refers to silver produced from coins, which applies to all American silver prior to 1865, when silversmiths started using the higher grade "Sterling" standard. Samuel Alexander worked at South Second Street between 1797 and 1808 (Ensko, American Silversmiths), first alone, then in partnership with Christian Wiltberger (Wiltberger & Alexander). The spoon has a"colonial" feel, the quality not quite what you would expect from English spoons of the period.

A Scottish provincial Fiddle pattern dessert spoon, made by John Urquhart of Perth. The spoon has script initials L. Whilst the spoon bowl is disappointing, the hallmarks are very well struck and very clear. The Perth town mark (imperial double headed eagle displayed) is taken from the arms of the Burgh (Jackson, pg 613). The hallmarks include makers mark JU, double headed eagle, JU, double headed eagle, S (in an unusual shoreform shaped punch - Poole), having a noticeable indent away from base. These marks are fairly rare, indeed the makers mark and S are not included in Jackson (pg 614). Perth is the former capital of Scotland.

A magnificent silver gilt snuffbox with a superb finely detailed battle scene. The gilding on the battle scene has different tones, the base has a deeper rich red tinge, this fades to a lighter yellow gold colour in the sky. The box is exceptional quality and a pleasing weight. The sides and rim are richly decorated with cast flowers and thistles, which leads us to believe it is possibly a Scottish battle scene (we welcome opinions!). The battle is being fought with swords, battleaxes, lances, shields, armour and horses, no sign of firearms. The detail includes a castle in the background, flags, finely detailed armour and armorials on the shield - the work of a master craftsman. The base is engine turned, and has a blank cartouche. The interior lid is engraved "Presented to Thomas Ogilvy Esqr, by the New Quay Company of Manchester, as a mark of their gratitude, for his great attention & trouble as arbiter, in the investigation of the disputed claim, made on them by Messrs Francis Philips & Sons, 1829". The en...

A Scottish provincial antique silver toddy ladle, Fiddle pattern with engraved initial L, and long elegant handle (longer than most toddy ladles). The hallmarks are very clear, AC, C, thistle, pot of lilies, AC. Alexander Cameron added the thistle mark to the Dundee pot of lilies in the early 19th century, after the manner of Edinburgh marks (Jackson, pg 599).

A Scottish provincial toddy ladle, made by David Gray of Dumfries, but with Edinburgh hallmarks for 1818. The ladle is Fiddle pattern, and has a beautiful crest of a crowned swan, standing with wings outstretched, with motto "Be Mindful". The hallmarks are very clear, including triple cusp duty mark. The D of the makers mark appears to overstrike a P, but the G is very clear. The ladle also has a small heart shaped journeyman's mark.

An early George II silver punch ladle, with "goose egg" bowl, and twisted whalebone handle (with silver tip). The goose egg bowl is plain, but has a lovely texture as the individual hammer marks are visible all over the bowl. The join is the traditional heart shape, and the handle is securely fastened to the bowl.The early George II goose egg ladles are quite rare, having been made for only a short period (1735 - 1740). It is also unusual to find one in such good condition, the handles are often loose or damaged. The hallmarks are clear, but the date letter e and makers mark GJ are partially struck, but still discernable. The ladle has a 5th hallmark, the Dutch script letter I, which is a tax mark for silver items in the Netherlands not bearing an older tax mark. This indicates the ladle passed through the Netherlands at some stage.

A Scottish provincial silver toddy ladle, made in Inverness by Donald Fraser, but hallmarked in Edinburgh in 1830. The ladle is Fiddle pattern and is plain. The hallmarks are very clear, including a large makers mark D.F.

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).

An attractive pair of French Silver grapefruit spoons, with double shell and foliage pattern. These spoons have extremely rare and strange hallmarks. The first is the Giraffe's head Recense mark (Poincon de recense) for Paris, only used between May and October 1838, a period during which the hallmarking system was being changed. It was applied to verify authenticity of marks for the interim period. In addition, th spoons have the Paris assay office mark (medium, 1819-1838), and one spoon has the Paris silver standard 1 (950 grade), whilst the other has the Paris silver standard 2 (800 grade), which as the spoons are identical in every other respect by the same maker, must be an error by the assay master during a confused period. The spoons also have additional marks alongside the makers mark which we have not identified (see photo).

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 pair of Scottish Hanoverian tablespoons, with initials "DMcD over MMcD", (possibly McDonald?) engraved on the back of the spoons. The spoons have a lovely feel and are a pleasing weight, good quality tablespoons very suitable for use. They have a central rib and a large drop. The hallmarks are poorly struck, but the makers mark L&R, Edinburgh castle and Scottish thistle are still visible on one spoon. The other spoon has a partial makers mark visible, being L&. The date letter is too indistinct to read, but the presence of the thistle dates them to post 1759, when the thistle replaced the assay masters mark on Scottish silver. Edward Lothian and Patrick Robertson worked in the late 1750's and early 1760's.

A lovely pair of cast sugar tongs, with ornate pierced arms, shell grips and a shaped bow with feather edge engraving and floral design. The owners initials MT are engraved on the bow. As is usual for tongs predating 1784, these tongs only have 2 hallmarks, the lion passant and makers mark (TE) - (see Georgian Silver Sugar Tongs, Graham Hodges, pg 11, 39 and 218 - P.S. we strongly recommend this book). Cast tongs are delicate, it is rare to find a pair without repairs. This repair is old, and is very well done. Thomas Evans worked between 1774 and 1792, but as this pair has no duty mark we know it was produced before 1784. The style of the tongs suggests a date circa 1775.

An extremely rare and unusual Cape silver Napkin (serviette) holder. The holder has an arm that hooks into a buttonhole, and a clamp that is opened or closed with a sliding ring. The clamp end is decorated in a very crude shell, and the sliding ring is crudely banded. This item could be unique, made by special commission, as none of the Cape silver reference books describe napkin holders. The hallmark is very clear (DBD between two stars, mark 44 in Welz). Dominique Badouin du Moulin was a Belgian from Mons (Bergen), who worked as a silversmith in the Cape between 1818 and 1833 (Welz, Cape Silver). He married the sister of silversmith Jan Beyleveld.

A matching set of crested Georgian silver flatware, including 12 tablespoons, 2 sauce ladles, 2 saltspoons and butterknife, all of very good gauge and quality. The pattern is Fiddle and Thread, and all pieces have an interesting double crest, indicating a marriage between 2 noble families. The first crest is of a head and shoulders of a bearded man with unruly hair, the second a raised fist holding a halbeard. The saltspoons have gilded bowls to prevent corrosion. The butterknife is a later addition to the set (made in 1895), and only has the bearded man crest. The makers mark on the butterknife has been removed, possibly to allow the retailer to overstamp. Chawner was a prolific spoonmaker, he ran a large workshop of journeymen, whose individual marks can be seen on the spoons (devices include stars, bars, circles and triangles).

Typically Cape konfyt (preserve) fork, in the Fiddle pattern. The hallmarks are also typically Cape (WC or WG?) in a shaped punch, between 2 crude stars. The makers mark is a little indistinct, either a worn or mistruck punch, or could even be overstruck. Given this is an unrecorded maker not listed in any of the reference books (as far as we can determine), it could have another Colonial origin.

A lovely antique silver fish slice from the short reign of William IV, with a pierced and engraved fish design, with lovely detail. The slice is Fiddle pattern, and has a crest of a griffin on a crown, surrounded by buckle with the motto "Nil Virtute Praeclarus" (Never Virtue in Beauty?). The crest is very good condition, clearly visible. William Eaton, a specialist spoonmaker, worked between 1824 and 1844. The hallmarks are very clear.

An early Georgian silver salver with wavy outline and gadrooned rim, set on 3 stepped pad feet, with an imposing coat of arms which is well engraved and very clear. The salver is a good size and weight (over 1 kilogramme), and the hallmarks are very clear.The coat of arms belongs to a peer of the realm, which is indicated by the presence of an open coronet above the armorial, and "supporters" on either side. The arms are "quartered" (4 different coat of arms, indicating several marriages to heiresses, bringing new arms to the family). The motto "Agincourt" indicates participation in the famous battle between England and France in 1415. The salver has an old worn label on the back, which records the family names of the coat of arms - Spencer, ?arnegie (Carnegie?), Fraser, Berkeley. Marks on the rear of the salver show the possibility that the crest has been let in (a later addition) which was common practice when a families' coat of arms changed through marriage (the updated coat of arms would be added to the ...

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.

A magnificent set of 4 early Georgian cast scallop shells, with "curled" handles, the ends "rolled over" to form a double scroll grip, in the manner of Onslow pattern flatware. The use of scallop shells is the subject of some argument, they have long been called "butter shells", but have also been described as "oyster scallops", salts, sweetmeat and sauce dishes (Judith Bannister, "Scallop Shells in English Silver, Collectors Guide, June 1967"). They are in the style of Paul de Lamerie, who popularised these in the 1730's, so much so that other makers followed suit. The shells are realistically cast, roughly life size and rest on 3 dolphin feet, also cast, in keeping with the marine theme. Each shell is also engraved with a family crest, a Maltese cross over a crescent, surrounded by branches. The shells are exceptional quality, they are solid and heavy, and the detail on both shells and dolphins is good. The hallmarks are visible but given the curved shape of the shell are not well struck, and are worn. The ...

Set of 12 Fiddle pattern dessert spoons and forks, made by Hamilton & Co, the "Garrards of India". All 12 have a crest and set of initials (AD), the crest (which are worn but visible) is a dove with an olive branch in its beak, under the motto "Nil Nisi Fidum" (translated "Nothing but Trust"). All are clearly hallmarked with maker mark, elephant, the capital letter A and a variety of tallymarks.

A Dutch silver miniature kettle, circa 1725, by the prolific Frederik I van Strant, who made a large number of miniature silver objects in the course of his career (Houart, Miniature Silver Toys). A very similar kettle also by van Strant can be seen in figure 69 of the book described above. Unfortunately this kettle has lost its original lid, this lid is a replica copy of the lid depicted in the book. The makers mark is very clear, the Amsterdam town mark partially visible, and the assay scrape is also present.

Typical Scottish silver toddy ladle, in the Fiddle pattern, with engraved initail P. The ladle was made by Andrew Wilkie, a Dundee silversmith, but was assayed in Edinburgh. Silver by Wilkie is found with both Dundee marks (pot of lilies) and with Edinburgh marks, as is the case with other Scottish provincial silversmiths, brought about by the imposition of duty on hallmarked silver. According to Turner (Directory of Scottish provincial silversmiths and their marks), certain makers had a proportion of their silver fully stamped in Edinburgh, to keep their registration as a silversmith valid - and to keep the Revenue service happy that duty was being paid.

Rare Cape Silver Christening mug, by the highly regarded Cape Silversmith John Townsend. The body is plain and cylindrical, the handle has a lovely leaf cap, and the mug is of good gauge. David Heller, author of "Cape Silver", described Townsend as the "most versatile" of all the English silversmiths who worked at the Cape. The hallmarks are clear, being makers mark and pseudo English hallmarks which are slightly worn (duty mark, date letter a, leopards head and date letter J) -(see Welz, Cape Silver, pg 122).

A unique set of 12 Hanoverian teaspoons, six of which are shellbacks, the other six are scrollbacks. These spoons predate the common practise of making and selling flatware in sets, complete sets are extremely rare. As is usual of the period, these spoons only have 2 hallmarks, the sterling and makers mark, which given the small size of the spoons were often poorly struck. The makers mark is present on all spoons but discernable on only 8, with 5 being by Charles Hougham (one set of 3 and another set of 2), and one each by Hester Bateman, Ebernezer Coker and Thomas Devonshire & William Watkins. Nine spoons have contempory initials, and 2 have a later crest.

Plain silver meat skewer with ring pull and a diamond shaped crest, indicating it once belonged to an unmarried daughter of a nobleman. Skewers were used in joints of meat to hold them together whilst carving. John Wakelin and Robert Garrard I were extremely important makers, who were appointed as Goldsmith & Jeweller to the King (George III) in 1797 (Source Grimwade, London Goldsmiths). The hallmarks are well struck and extremely clear. The makers mark appears to be overstruck. Garrard, who joined Wakelin in 1792, took over the firm on Wakelin's death in 1802 - Garrard's still exists today.

Early Old English pattern (with narrow, elegant handle) basting spoon, with a long drop. The bowl is slightly smaller than later versions. The hallmarks are very clear.

An extremely rare Cape konfyt (preserve) fork with tubular handle, with typically Cape prick engraving of foliage at the top of the handle. No hallmarks are present. The handle is similar to the Cannon handle pattern of early English flatware. Similar forks are illustrated in Heller's History of Cape Silver (Vol 2, pg 82) and Welz's Cape Silver (pg 68), these are by Johannes Combrink.

Plain set of 3 Old English tablespoons from Newcastle, with very clear hallmarks. These spoons all have the same Initial B as the 4 tablespoons with the incuse duty mark (item S 1184).

A good set of early Old English tablespoons, with narrow elegant handles characteristic of the earlier Old English pattern. These spoons also have the initial B, and very clear hallmarks. These spoons all have the rare incuse duty mark (George III looking left), which was only in use for 18 months. As can be seen from the photographs, these marks are well struck and remain crisp, with no wear. George Smith was a prolific spoonmaker, this period predates his partnership with William Fearn (1786), the firm later became Eley and Fearn.

Plain marrowscoop with a long drop, in lovely condition and with very clear hallmarks. The makers mark is very deeply struck. Schofield, who worked from Temple Bar, was reknowned for his impeccable craftmanship. He worked for the Royal Silversmiths Jeffries, Jones and Gilbert.

Cape Fiddle pattern saltspoon complete with makers mark and pseudo english hallmarks (clearly visible), gilded bowl and engraved monogram TTA. The spoon is slightly longer than others we have seen. Townsend was a leading Cape silversmith, who had a shop on Heerengracht in Cape Town, and is regarded as one of the finest and most versatile of Cape silversmiths by Heller.

A lovely, early Old English basting spoon, with narrow elegant stem and very good gauge, in excellent condition. It is ideal for use as a serving spoon. The hallmarks are also very clear.

Typical early Georgian small octagonal caster by a well known maker. Thomas Bamford was a specialist caster maker, whose apprentices included Samuel Wood, who also became a prolific specialist caster maker. Bamford's address was the interestingly named Gutter Lane. The caster is clearly hallmarked, both on the base and on the sleeve of the lid.

Early marrow scoop of good gauge, with good hallmarks - the makers mark and date letter are very clear, the sterling and town mark are slightly squashed but still legible. A lion crest is present, but worn.

Extremely rare marrow spoon (as opposed to the commomer marrow scoops), with a lovely shellback. Hallmarks are very distinct. Bennett was a well regarded silversmith who worked on London Bridge.

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.

A beautiful scoop in excellent condition, with very clear hallmarks. In addition, this scoop has an interesting bundled snake crest, also in excellent condition. This scoop is also slightly larger and heavier than others we have seen.

A beautiful silvergilt engine turned snuffbox with a chocolate brown agate (mocha agate) set in a rim of chased flowers, by a silversmith well known for his boxes. This box has a lovely weight and a pleasing feel.

Interesting double lidded snuffbox with trellis and diaper engraving and a crest, by well known silversmiths. Both the box and both lids are clearly hallmarked.

Plain marrowscoop, by specialist spoonmaker Elizabeth Oldfield. This scoop is very dainty, being smaller than later versions. Oldfield was the widow of silversmith Charles Jackson, and had a previous mark as Elizabeth Jackson. She remarried in 1750, when the mark pictured here was registered. The hallmarks are clear, and the original owners initials "WY" are scratched in small letters next to the makers mark.

A pleasing, heavy caddy spoon by the well known caddy spoon maker Thomas James, whose spoons often have interesting handle shapes, and a "fish-tail" projection at the base of the handle. The spoon has a beautiful crest of a hand holding a cross, with the motto "VIRTUTI FORTUNA COMIS", translated "excellence, fortune and kindness". The hallmarks are very clear. This spoon appears to be an identical twin of a spoon sold by Woolley and Wallis from the John Norie collection, Part 1, April 2004, lot 132.

Gilt, engine turned vinaigrette with original sponge and very good hinge. Engraved "J Lang, 1835". Grille has flowers set amongst scrolling foliage.

Plain half pint mug with a tapered body that has been raised and hammered by hand, with the hammermarks visible as you rotate the mug in the light (truly beautiful!). Smooth scrolled handle with small thumb grip. Hallmarks are very clear, and original owners initials AW are scratch engraved on the base.

Georgian silver rectangular wine label with canted corners, engraved sherry, by the highly regarded makers Phipps and Robinson. Phipps and Robinson worked between 1784 and 1811, and were known for high quality workmanship and innovative designs, they were one of the best known London label firms (Wine Labels 1730-2003, pg 168). Hallmarks are clear, duty mark has indent. Chain appears original. Prior to 1790 rectangular labels had sharp corners, canted corners became fashionable after this date.

Plain, elegant Fiddle pattern basting spoon of good weight, perfect for use as a serving spoon. The hallmarks are very clear. These silversmiths were a father and son team.

A single letter "Postage Stamp" silver wine label, which has been scratch engraved P (for Port). The label is rectangular, with a reeded edge. Given it's shape and size, these have been called "Postage Stamp" labels, they were first produced by Phipps and Robinson in the late 1790's (Wine Labels, 1730-2003, John Salter, pg 70).

Pair of Georgian provincial silver Exeter tablespoons in the Old English pattern, with clear hallmarks.

Plain Georgian Silver pierced fish slice in the Fiddle pattern, with a very pleasant feel. Engraved initials and clear hallmarks.

Oval label, pierced Madeira, moulded with scallop shells and scrolling foliage. Very clear hallmarks.

Matching set of 6 dessertspoons, with engraved initials WG. Very clear hallmarks.

Matching set of 6 teaspoons, with engraved initials. These spoons are all 1821, the last year of the crowned leopard London hallmark. Very clear hallmarks with the exception of the makers mark, which is only visible on one spoon.

Unusual cape shellback tablespoon, this is the only example of a Cape shellback we have seen. Very clear English pseudo hallmarks and makers mark. Twentyman moved to India in 1832, where he continued to trade as a silversmith.

Pleasing associated set of Cape tableforks, 5 by Lawrence Twentyman, one by his contempory John Townsend. Very clear hallmarks, showing the wide variety of hallmarking styles used by the Cape silversmiths. 2 forks have the initial W on the back.

Typically Cape konfyt fork. Smith was a Dane who arrived in the Cape in 1757 as a VOC employee. The hallmark is partially obscured, with only LS of the MLS visible (overstruck?), but his 2 distinctive leaves are clearly visible.

Plain Cape tablespoon with very clear hallmarks, showing makers initials between two Fleur de Lys.

Beautiful and rare Cape spoon of unusual size and shape, with engraved initials AMW. It is teaspoon size but has a long stem, leading us to believe it is a mash spoon. Mash spoons were used to stir the teapot to assist brewing. Lotter produced very fine silver, although only for 4 years (1813-1817), indicating he probably died young. Very distinct makers mark.

Cape sauce ladle with very clear hallmarks, the makers initials struck twice between 3 roses. Beets was the illegitimate son of the German Balthus Beets of Neubrandenburg and the Cape slave Angana.

Early Cape tablespoon of Hanoverian pattern, with the end of the spoon turning up.

Beautiful pair of plain Cape tablespoons, with very clear makers mark. Both these spoons have the initial H lightly engraved on the back of the spoon shafts.

Cape tablefork in good condition, with very clear pseudo English hallmarks and makers mark. Initials ADL on the back of the fork.

A magnificent silver gilt snuffbox, with a cast panel of a scene from Greek mythology, showing Hebe, Goddess of Youth, feeding Jupiter (disguised as an eagle) with Ambrosia, the nectar of eternal youth. Hebe, or Juventas in Latin, was the cup bearer to the Gods, responsible for feeding them "Heavens Wine" to provide immortality. The box is engine turned, and has a flower head thumb pull. This box is of outstanding quality, and is heavy and has a pleasing feel. Hallmarks are very clear.

Fabulous matching set of 24 spoons (table and dessert) with griffon crest. The tablespoons are large and heavy enough to use as serving spoons. Very clear hallmarks and crest on all 24 spoons.

Elegant, plain, oval shaped boat shaped salts with beaded rim, on an oval pedestal. Interiors are gilt. Very clear hallmarks. These are good quality salts by a well regarded maker.

A rare Cape Silver twisted stem konfyt (preserve) fork, with spearhead handle and typical Cape floral engraving. This is similar to the pair (item S 1188), but the engraved flower lacks foliage and the only hallmark present is the makers mark, which is very clear.

A rare matching pair of twisted stem konfyt (preserve) fork and spoon, the fork having 3 prongs. They have spearhead handles, with typical Cape floral engraving, and very clear hallmarks. Similar forks and spoons are illustrated in Heller's History of Cape Silver (Vol 1, pg 148) and Welz's Cape Silver (pg 41). Byleveld worked from 53 Loop Street and 31 Waterkant Street from 1814 - 1827, when he died age 35.

Plain Cape butterknife with scimitar blade, and clear Pseudo English hallmarks. The makers mark is not present, but these particular Pseudo marks were only used by Twentyman (mark 134 in Welz, Cape Silver).

Early pair of bright cut English provincial sugar tongs with clear makers and duty mark, however date and town mark are not present. Quite heavy and solid, have a nice feel. Initials TMM on bow.

A typical early Georgian two handled punch strainer, which was used for straining orange and lemon pips in the preparation of punch, which was a very popular drink in early 18th century Britian (before wine became popular). The bowl is pierced with 81 crosses arranged in a square, surrounded by pierced foliate decoration. The rim is reeded, and the handles are typical of the period. The strainer has an attractive crest of a clenched fist holding 3 three leaf clovers.The bowl interior is hallmarked with the makers mark struck 4 times, 3 of which are partially obscured by the pierced crosses, and one of which is fully intact and very clear.

A Fiddle pattern Cape Silver Tablefork by a well regarded Cape Silversmith, with engraved initials AW. The hallmarks are clear, being the makers mark struck twice. Lotter worked as a silversmith from 1810 - 1835, and was regarded by Heller as one of the finest of all Cape silversmiths.

Early Georgian sugar nips with scroll work arms and scallop shell grips. Scratched initials MD in hinge box. Marks (makers and lion passant) on outer side of finger ring, however the makers mark is only partially visible and appears to be ig (which we are informed could possibly be Phillips Garden). The date mark absent as is usual for nips of this period.

Rare Cape Basting spoon (Old English pattern) with a large and deep bowl, and very clear hallmarks. The bowl is also wider than English versions, as can be seen from the comparative photo. The spoon also has a thick drop. Jan Lotter, who worked from 22 Keerom Street, only produced silver for 4 years from 1813 - 1817.

Matching set of 5 Fiddle pattern Cape teaspoons, with engraved initials MIH. Very clear pseudo English hallmarks.

Early provincial waiter of good gauge and in outstanding condition. The waiter has a shell and scroll rim, lion paw feet and an interesting Stag crest. The hallmarks are exceptionally clear, even the castle windows are clear in the town mark! The base is also scratch engraved with the weight, being 7.2 oz pnt.

A good associated set of Onslow Tablespoons, of good gauge and with good ends, very pleasing to use. The 3 oldest spoons are original Onslow, and have the owners initials L+D scratch engraved on them. The 3 later spoons were converted in late Victorian times, a common practice (Ian Pickford comments in his excellent Flatware book that most Onslow pattern flatware that exists today is converted). A very faint butt joint can be detected on close examination with a loop, but is so faint it cannot be seen by the naked eye and is not visible in photographs. The hallmarks are all clear, the Adams spoons have an indented duty mark.

A pair of Fiddle pattern Cape tableforks, with clear English Pseudo hallmarks, but no makers mark. As these marks were only used by Lawrence Twentyman, we can be certain of the maker.

Beautiful, solid, engine turned box with vacant cartouche. Excellent hinge and very snug closure. This box is a very good weight and slightly larger than other snuffboxes. Attractive thumbpiece and gilt interior.

Pleasant set of 4 Cape Silver Fiddle pattern teaspoons. Very clear hallmarks showing makers initials between device.

A collectable castle-top vinaigrette depicting Kenilworth castle, by the famous maker Nathaniel Mills. The pierced grill has scrolling foliage, the base is engine turned and engraved "Ernest". The hallmarks are clear, on both lid and base. We previously incorrectly identified this castle as Warwick castle.

Plain Irish meat skewer with flat blade, and shoulder pattern beneath ring. The hallmarks are very clear, note the lack of a duty mark, as duty was only introduced on Irish silver in 1808. Initials VG. Neville was an extremely well regarded Dublin silversmith, who served as Warden and Master of the Goldsmith's Company. He was elected to the Dublin City Council in 1807.

Beautifully made coffeepot with chased detail, a wooden handle and an ivory finial. Very fine maker, as evidenced by the royal warrant. Very clear hallmarks, (including lid) and "Garrards, Panton Street London" on base. It is interesting to note that even the securing nut that holds the finial in place is hallmarked - true quality!

A lovely set of early Scottish tablespoons, complete with a double drop, by John Welsh, who was entered in 1742, and who made the Liberta Communion cups. The makers mark and townmark are very clear on both spoons, the date mark and thistle are visible one one spoon (slight wear), and worn on the other.

Pleasing early Scottish bottom - marked spoon, with very clear hallmarks, and good weight.

Beautiful set of ornate berryspoons, originally by Hester Bateman but converted during Victorian times. The conversion must have been done by a master craftsman as the quality is excellent. The gilt bowls display no wear, these spoons have not seen much use. Delightful crest of a dove holding an olive branch, so I suppose these are peace spoons! The hallmarks are very clear, including the Hester Bateman makers mark.

Beautiful, elegant, early Old English pattern sauce ladles, with a long drop and engraved initials JIL. Smith and Fearn were leading spoonmakers, and the hallmarks are very clear.

Cape Silver Fiddle pattern teaspoon with very clear hallmarks (mark 11 in Welz).

Cape Fiddle pattern dessert spoon with an interesting crest, crudely engraved, of a raised arm holding an axe. Hallmarks are clear, DB repeated twice between two stars.

Cape Silver Fiddle pattern tablespoon, with very clear pseudo English hallmarks, including dutymark, bird, castle and date letter B. No makers mark is present, but as only Lawrence Twentyman used this sequence of marks we can be sure of its origin.

Very rare set of plain fiddle pattern Scottish provincial sugar tongs with extremely clear hallmarks on both arms - AS TAIN. Initials GC engraved on bow. Stewart was a very skilled craftsman (Quick, Ballance of Silver) who originally worked in Inverness (1796 - 1812), then moved to Tain. He died in 1841. Only 160 pieces of Tain silver by Stewart are known to exist, and only three quarters of these have the TAIN townmark. (Quick, Ballance of Silver). Tain, which has long been a pilgrims destination visiting St Duthac's shrine, is the home of Glenmorangie Whisky, made by "The 16 men of Tain".

An extremely rare Cape Silver vinaigrette, with attractive engraving, a sunburst surrounding a wreath contained in a rectangle on the lid, the base and sides also decorated with naive but attractive zig-zag and dot engraving, typical of colonial Cape silversmiths. The grille is also decorated by hand, with a crude flower and foliage surrounded by hand punched holes in squares. The interior is gilt. Both the lid and base are struck with 3 poorly struck hallmarks, which appear to be the lion passant between 2 castles. However the grille is struck with a very clear LT makers mark, without doubt that of Lawrence Twentyman. The only other known example of a Cape vinaigrette, by Martinus Lourens Smith, appeared at Sothebys Cape Town in February 2007 (Lot 428). None of the Cape silver reference books (Welz, Heller) mention vinaigrettes.

A delightful associated pair of Madeira wine labels, with Bacchus masks amongst foliage. The labels were made 4 years apart, but obviously cast from the same mould, by the same maker. The hallmarks on both labels are very clear. The order of the hallmarks is the same, but different punches were used as they are different sizes. This design must have been popular for Willmore to have been producing it for at least a 4 year period. Note the slightly different chain fixture (one has an arm with single loop, the other 2 loops but no arm). One chain appears original, the other is a later replacement.

Fiddle Pattern Konfyt fork, typical of those produced in the Cape. The fork is engraved "Irene". Konfyt forks were made and sold as individual items in the Cape (Welz, Cape Silver). The hallmarks are very clear, makers initials MLS between 2 Fleur de Lys (one is unclear). Smith was a VOC employee from Denmark who arrived in the Cape in 1757. He married 4 times, had 10 children and died in 1806.

Georgian Irish Fiddle pattern sugar tongs, with very clear hallmarks. They also have the original owners initials (W over CW) scratch engraved in 18th century style (not script). Cummins worked from 1813 to 1846, so these tongs were made very early in his career. He worked from 31 Exchequer Street, and his name was also recorded as Cumying.

A unique collection of 12 early Georgian Hanoverian tablespoons, 8 being George II and four being George III. Sets of flatware from this period are extremely rare, most spoons were made singly or in pairs. All the spoons have clear hallmarks, with visible date letters and makers marks (all but 2 have the makers identified). Five of the spoons are shellbacks, two are scrollbacks, the remaining 5 have double drops. Nine spoons have contempory initials and two have later initials. One spoon has an additional later hallmark JP (John Page, 1900), indicating it may have been repaired at this stage. Identified makers include Thomas Pye, Richard Gosling, Marmaduke Daintry and Robert Sallam.

A very interesting pair of early Georgian Hanoverian tablespoons made by the same person (1 year apart), but with different makers marks (EJ and EO). The first was made in 1749 by Elizabeth Jackson (widow of Charles Jackson), the second circa 1750 by Elizabeth Oldfield (she remarried in 1750, hence the name change - and registered a new mark the same year). Both spoons are of good gauge, and have a long drop. The first spoon has very clear hallmarks, the second has clear makers mark, but other marks worn. One spoon has a worn crest of a dove carrying an olive branch.

A delightful ladle shape sugar sifter, with an unusual pattern of stars, crosses and a half moon oval device. The pattern was cut by hand, and appears a little crude. The handle is initialled HI, and the hallmarks are clear with the exception of the makers mark, which is poorly struck, although still discernable.

Rectangular, plain but elegant teapot on 4 ball feet, characteristic of the style between 1805 and 1810. Wooden handle and ivory finial. Beautiful tree stump crest, excellent hallmarks, including lid.

A rare Irish silver Freedom Box, engraved with the coat of arms of the city of Londonderry, in Northern Ireland. Freedom boxes are typically Irish, and were used as presentation pieces to distinguished non- residents who received the honorary freedom of the city (Bennett, Collecting Irish Silver). Example from Dublin, Youghal, Limerick and Cork are known (Bennett), Londonderry is rare. The coat of arms includes a skeleton sitting on a hill, with a turreted castle, and the George Cross and dagger of London above. The skeleton is thought to represent starvation during the great siege. The city motto "Vita Veritas Victoria" (Life, Truth, Victory) is engraved below. The engraving quality is superb, with delicate flowers and chased C scrolls. The decorated lid is a separate panel that has been set into a presumably plain table snuff box. The box has a curved thumbpull for easy opening, and is gilded interior and exterior, with exception of the base. The only hallmarks present are the makers mark (struck twice, on ...

A delightful pair of Cape silver Konfyt forks, in the rare Fiddle and Shell pattern. The forks also have a bevelled edge, and are single struck. Fiddle and Shell pattern is scarce (Pickford, Silver Flatware), Cape silver in this pattern is very rare. The hallmarks on both forks are very clear, being makers mark MLS between 2 Fleur de Lys. Smith was a Dane who arrived in the Cape in 1757. He married 4 times, had 10 children, and died in 1806 (Welz, Cape Silver).

A lovely Irish soup ladle in the Fiddle pattern, with an attractive, naive tulip crest. The handle is beautifully curved, so much that the top of the handle is at right angles to the bowl, which makes holding this ladle a pleasure. The bowl, which is quite large, is shaped with high edges which assists pouring the soup out of the ladle. The hallmarks are very clear. Sawyer worked from Fishamble Street from 1797 - 1812, when he died - meaning this ladle was one of his last works.

A Scottish Provincial Fiddle pattern soup ladle, with exceptionally clear and distinct hallmarks, deeply struck with no wear - these hallmarks are rare. The ladle is a good gauge, very solid, and fit for use, and is engraved with the initial I in contempory style. The bowl has a good shape, with raised edges, a feature of earlier ladles. The hallmarks are makers mark CF, ELGIN, cathedral wall and St Giles. The cathedral hallmark represents the west front of Elgin Cathedral Church (Jackson, pg 601), St Giles is its patron saint. The detail of the hallmarks is very good, with windows, door, double roof and battlements visible in the cathedral, and cloak, nimbus, staff and book visible in St Giles. Charles Fowler worked from 1809-1824, most of his silver is marked ELN (as opposed to ELGIN in full), the combination with the cathedral wall and St Giles is scarce.

Early Dutch bottom-marked silver tablefork, with transitional elements from Dognose to early Hanoverian pattern. The fork has a distinct Dognose, and a very pronounced rib on the front of the fork. The fork has a double drop, with the "Hague Leaflet" (lofje), a little lip at the join of the handle, typical of flatware made in The Hague (as opposed to Amsterdam) (source Dutch Silver, pg 83, MH Gans). The fork is of good gauge, very pleasing to hold, and engraved with the initials HLZW on the back. The hallmarks are exceptionally clear, showing makers mark (triangle device), lion rampant silver guarantee mark (875), Rotterdam city mark, and date letter b for 1736. The fork also has a puzzling and rare 5th hallmark (added later), being the duty mark used in the Netherlands between 1807 and 1810, for articles of foreign manufacture without payment of duty (source Tardy, International Hallmarks on Silver, pg 317). We can only surmise the fork was re-imported into the Netherlands at that time.

A fine example of a Scottish Georgian Silver toddy ladle, by very fine makers. The ladle is Fiddle pattern, and is engraved with the initial C, in contempory style. Toddy ladles are uniquely Scottish, used for that "wee dram" of spirits, but also suitable as sauce ladles. The hallmarks are very clear and detailed (the tree, fish and bell in the Glasgow town mark are all visible), an additional "star" journeymans mark is also present. Robert Gray and Sons of Glasgow produced "some of the finest British silver of the period" (Walter Brown, Finial, June 2006). Silver by Gray can be found with both Glasgow and Edinburgh marks, as between 1784 and 1819 the Glasgow assay office was closed.

Fine pair of Fiddle pattern Scottish toddy ladles, with engraved initials WG. The makers mark is very clearly RC, possibly Robert Carfrae, who was an Edinburgh unfreeman in the early 1800's (Source Rod Dietert, who wrote Scottish Compendium) - this maker is not recorded in Jacksons. We had originally suggested Robert Clark, this is now proved incorrect as he joined the military and settled in North America circa 1800. Hallmarks very clear. We have now been informed this mark belongs to Robert Chisholm, who worked alone from 1833-1835, when he formed the very successful partnership of Mackay & Chisholm (source Henry Fothringham, Historian to the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the city of Edinburgh, website www.incorporationofgoldsmiths.co.uk).

Very fine pair of heavy, embossed rectangular salts on raised base by well known maker. The decoration is embossed scroll, shell and floral with gadrooned rims. The crest is a dove with an olive branch in its beak. These salts are heavy even without the glass liners.

Bright cut helmet shaped cream jug with beaded rim and square base, very typical of the period. Clear hallmarks, with evidence hallmarks were applied before the bright cut engraving. Cartouche has initials engraved on it. Very interesting makers name!

An extremely rare, Brittania silver, rattail soup ladle in the Hanoverian pattern, of good gauge. The patination on the ladle is lovely, and the bowl, rattail and handle are in proportion, with no sign of alteration. The ladle has the initials E*G scratch engraved on the back of the handle. The stem rises at a sharp angle (almost 90 degrees) to the bowl, the characteristics of a ladle as opposed to a spoon. Snodin (English silver spoons, 1974, pg 46) describes the earliest ladles as dating from the 1730's, this is a rare early example. The hallmarks are worn but visible, the makers mark is very worn, with only the outline of the shield and a ghosting of the makers initials visible. The date letter is poorly struck, but visible enought to determine D from 1719 fairly confidently. Given the wear on the makers mark, an interesting debate has ensued as to the maker. The first letter is definitely S, the second is unclear, the distinctively shaped shield surrounding the makers mark is clearly visible. We had origi...

A typical Cape silver konfyt (preserve) fork with 3 tines, in the Old English pattern, with traditional Cape engraved decoration, consisting of crude stars and a zig-zag pattern which extends all the way to the tines. The makers mark IL is very clear. Jan Lotter, who was regarded by Heller as "a highly skilled craftsman", only worked for 4 years between 1813 and 1817, so he probably died young. He made most of the prized Cape silver "lemoenlepels" (orange spoons) known to exist today.

Engine turned vinaigrette with beautiful grille. The cartouche is initialled with initial T, the base has bright cut wrigglework with flowerhead. The interior is gilt. Joseph Willmore is described by Eric Delieb (Silver Boxes) as "a superlative silversmith, who worked in the trade for almost half a century".

Basting spoon in early Old English Pattern, with an elegant narrow handle. In later Old English Pattern the handles flatten out. Basting spoons, sometimes called Turkey spoons, are ideal for use as large serving spoons. The hallmarks are clear, although the makers mark is partially worn, only the GS is visible.

A Georgian silver sifter spoon in the Old English Bright-Cut Edge pattern, with bottom marked hallmarks indicating a date pre 1777. The bowl has a lovely ornate floral piercing, and a flat base (as expected from original sifters). The Bright-Cut Edge pattern was popular between 1790 and 1800 (Pickford, Silver Flatware, pg 102), so we assume the sifter was updated in style then. John Lambe was a specialist spoonmaker, he worked between 1762 and 1796. His makers mark I*L in oval punch is clear, the lion passant and crowned leopards head are worn but visible, the date letter is very worn but could possibly be the "a" of 1776.

A Chinese Export (or China Trade silver) tablefork, in the Fiddle, Thread and Shell pattern, with scarce Union shell (Pickford, Silver Flatware, pg 118). This is a large and hefty fork of good gauge and quality. The hallmarks are extremely clear, being pseudo - English hallmarks lion passant, dutymark, crowned leopards head, date letter k and makers mark CU for Cutshing of Old China Street, Canton. Cutshing was quite prolific, he used a number of makers marks, including CUT, and worked between 1825 and 1875. CU was used during his earlier period (www.chineseexportsilver.com). Chinese export silver, which is stylistically Anglo-American of the late Georgian period, is "known for its fine workmanship and exceptionally heavy weight (Kernan, China Trade Silver, Checklists for Collectors, November 1965).

A rare set of 3 Scottish provincial toddy ladles (Fiddle pattern) made by James Pirie of Aberdeen. All 3 ladles have an interesting crest, a dexter hand holding a kings crown, which is well engraved. This is the crest of the Cheeseman family, it is also used by the Robertson family. The hallmarks JP, ABD, JP are very clear on all 3 ladles. The makers mark JP is quite rare, in fact it is not depicted in Jackson's, although it is recorded in Turner's Scottish provincial silversmiths.

A Fiddle pattern Scottish silver toddy ladle, with a magnificent crest - a unicorn's head erased above a crown, with the motto "Virtute Acquiritur Honos", translated "Honour is acquired by Virtue". This is the motto of the Richardson family. The crown probably indicates the families membership of the peerage. The hallmarks are very clear, including makers mark AW in strangely indented punch. AW has been attributed to Alexander Wotherspoon (British silver makers marks website) but given the similarity of the punch to JW (John Williamson) there is a high probibility of a family relationship (father and son?), so the maker could be A Williamson.

Two Cape silver tablespoons in the Fiddle pattern, with engraved initials HV, attractively engraved by hand in Colonial style. The hallmarks are excellent, makers mark DB struck twice between 3 stars (Welz mark 15). Although from the initials we can see they are a pair, they are slightly different in quality, weight and condition. 1 spoon is beautiful, good quality, weight and condition, the other less so, it is lighter and has had a rougher life.

A pair of Scottish Provincial silver toddy ladles, made by James Douglas in Dundee. The ladles are Fiddle pattern, and have a well engraved and attractive crest of a raised fist holding a bundle of arrows. The hallmarks include makers mark JD, and pot of lilies struck 4 times. The 4th pot of lily is at right angles to the other 3. Both ladles have good hallmarks. The crest is the Brodie family crest, a dexter hand holding 5 arrows.

A rare and attractive Cape silver fish slice with an engraved fish on the blade between a row of leaves. The blade is pierced by hand and the engraving is typically Cape including the straight and wavy dotted decoration around the edge. The blade is quite large and oval in shape, and the Fiddle pattern handle is quite short. The join between handle and blade is visible, but is clearly original as the decoration over-rides the join. The hallmarks are very clear, makers mark IC between 2 shell devices (Welz mark 26), all well struck. Cape silver fish slices are quite rare, and ones with an engraved fish even rarer. Welz (Cape Silver) mentions that Twentyman was the only Cape silversmith who added the engraved fish (now clearly incorrect), one by Twentyman is pictured in Heller (A History of Cape Silver, pg 168, plate 74). The engraved fish on the Twentyman slice is very similar in style and design to this one, we hypothesize it was engraved by the same engraver.

An interesting antique silver milk (or cream) jug, hallmarked in Exeter but possibly made in Devon. It is oblong in shape, with an unusual cast rim with different types of flowers and thistles, and a very fine engraved band of scrolling foliage around the body. The jug has an ornate leaf and rose capped scroll handle, and 4 bun feet. The jug, casting and engraving is very fine quality, the work of a master craftsman. The 5 hallmarks are all clear, including makers mark SL. The base has an engraved number "10", possibly an inventory number. The oblong shape was popular for tea services between 1805 and 1815 in London, we often see a style lag in provincial centres. Simon Levy produced Exeter hallmarked silver between 1818 and 1832. Of Jewish origin, he was buried in the Jewish burial ground in Exeter, just outside the Roman wall. He was the son of Emanuel Levy, also a silversmith. They resided in the parish of St Thomas, Devon.

A beautiful set of Queens pattern tableforks, extremely heavy (over 100 grams each!), they are wonderful to hold! Interesting crest of a curved topped escutcheon containing a wagon wheel, topped with a helmet and a heron. Hallmarks very clear.

A magnificent and rare early Brittania standard silver coffee pot of very good quality, with handle at right angles to the spout, in the Queen Anne style. The pot has a high domed lid with baluster finial, a stand-away hinge, and an octagonal swan neck spout with "Ducks Head" terminal.The pot itself is the tapering plain cylindrical shape with spreading foot, and the handle is turned fruitwood. The coffee pot is plain except for a lovely contemporary armorial, a diamond shaped logenze surrounded by plumes, with the arms of Newdigate (gules three lion's gambs erased argent) impaling a lion rampant reguardant gules. The logenze indicates ownership by a widow of the Newdigate family, as the lozenge is the only vehicle for a widow to display her arms. This plain style is usually called Queen Anne, the shape of coffee pots changed circa 1723, when the lid became flattened and the spout moved opposite the handle (Judith Banister, 3 Centuries of Silver Coffee Pots). As is usual for coffee pots of this era, it is qu...

An extremely rare miniature silver coffee pot by the Huguenot John Hugh Le Sage, subordinate goldsmith to the King. The coffee pot is early Rococo style, with relief chasing of flowers and scrolls around the base and border below the cover. As is expected with early Rococo (1740 - 1750), large areas are left blank, only after 1750 did full Rococo develop which filled in the blanks. The swan neck spout is leaf wrapped, and the wooden handle has a typical double C scroll. The lid, which is richly decorated, has a stepped dome cover and acorn finial. The pot also has a tucked in base and stand-away hinge. The only hallmarks are the makers mark (script JS underneath crown) struck 3 times on the base (Grimwade 1680, Jacksons pg 192). As per the plate act of 1739, silver toys were exempted from assay, and only required the makers mark. A number of silver toys have been attributed to John Hugh Le Sage, many of which today reside in museums, including the Henry Ford Museum (USA) and the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&...

Dainty set of Old English pattern silver teaspoons, 4 spoons by Ely & Fearn and 2 by the Batemans, but all with a matching crest (crest is contempory, indicating this set was put together soon after manufacture). The crest is very fetching, with a lion rampant holding a scallop between its fore-paws. Clear hallmarks.

Pair of bright cut Hester Bateman sugar tongs with very clear hallmarks. Decoration swag and wrigglework with initials JR on bow.

A Chinese export silver dessert spoon in the Fiddle pattern. The pseudo-English hallmarks are in excellent condition, well struck and very clear. They include lion passant with triangular indent to punch, crowned leopards head, duty mark and makers mark L. Linchong was an early maker of Chinese export silver, his silver is usually in the English Georgian style. He worked from New China Street, Canton.

A set of Indian Colonial silver Dessert spoons in the Fiddle pattern, with rare hallmarks from little known Calcutta goldsmiths. 3 spoons are by RS and 3 are by BG (both makers are listed but unidentified by Wilkinson in his book "Indian Colonial Silver"). The hallmarks are clear but a little worn, BG with tally mark 14 (Wilkinson, pg 27) and RS with the Fish tally mark (Wilkinson, pg 116). Tally marks are thought to be the mark of the indigenous workman who finished the piece. The tally mark 14 also appears on silver from Twentyman & Co. This set was probably put together when new in Calcutta circa 1830, as they all have the same initials DI, exhibiting some wear. Given the differential wear to the bowl tips, we can only assume that the 3 by BG are softer, higher grade silver than the 3 by RS.

A Cape silver dessert fork, in the Fiddle pattern, with 4 prongs, which are quite long. The hallmarks are clear but slightly worn, they include pseudo English duty mark, castle, date letter C and makers mark LT. This is mark 139 in Cape Silver by Welz, the C has a small gap.

A Cape silver dessert spoon in the Fiddle pattern. The spoon has pseudo English hallmarks, all individually struck, all the hallmarks are very clear. They include duty mark, bird, castle and date letter e, with makers mark LT. This is makers mark 131 (Cape Silver by Welz), although they are struck in a different order, which is quite common. It appears the Cape silversmiths were not too scrupulous about how hallmarks were struck.

A Cape silver tablespoon in the Fiddle pattern, with engraved owners initials "de C", so probably a Huguenot. The spoon bowl is quite wide and the top of the handle has a very provincial rib and turn. The hallmarks are very clear, and include makers mark LT, and pseudo-English hallmarks (leopards head, date letter a, duty mark and lion passant). This is mark 135 in "Cape Silver" by Welz.

An antique silver cream or milk jug by perhaps the most famous of English goldsmiths, Paul Storr. The jug is Neo Classical (Adam) style, as is usual for much of Storr's early work, and is extremely good quality. The jug has a pyriform body, with a border of gadrooning dividing the lower and upper part. The spout is broad, and the handle has a scroll on the base. The interior is gilded, and the base is raised, which has protected the hallmarks. Penzer, in his book "Paul Storr", described Storr as "the last of the great goldsmiths". The hallmarks are excellent, the makers mark P.S is perfect in every way. It is Storr's 4th mark, P.S with pellat in centre, in twin circles in contact, with indent at base producing a point. The base also has the original scratch marks "5 14=171e", "2u320" and "-/XE", we assume weight, style and inventory marks. Storr worked between 1793 and 1838, he died in 1844. He served his apprenticeship with Andrew Fogelberg.

A very good quality silver sauceboat or gravyboat with shaped rim and leaf capped flying scroll handle, 3 cast hoof feet and a nice crest, a greyhound holding an arrow. The hallmarks are very clear, even the leopards' whiskers are visible! Smith and Sharp were important makers, who made some of the finest silver of the period (Pickford, Jackson's hallmarks). They supplied Parker & Wakelin, the Royal Goldsmiths who supplied the Prince of Wales and "half the nobility of England" (Grimwade, London Goldsmiths). The crest has been identified as belonging to the Watts family, and is described as "A greyhound sejant argent supporting with its dexter foot an arrow or headed and barbed of the first". The heraldic research report is available in our articles section.

Pair of Cape Fiddle pattern Tableforks, by the highly regarded silversmith John Townsend. The length of the tines is good, and the forks have very clear Pseudo English hallmarks and makers mark. The initials CJH are engraved on the back of the forks. Heller described Townsend as the most versatile of all the English silversmiths at the Cape, capable of excellent craftmanship.

Plain Cape silver tablefork in the Old English pattern, with original owners initials lightly scratched on back (MF). Hallmark very clear, makers mark struck twice, either side of a flower (or bunch of grapes). Jan Lotter was an excellent silversmith who made most of the cape orangespoons (lemoenlepels) found today. He traded from Keerom St.

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.

An early Georgian silver rat-tail Hanoverian tablespoon, with a pronounced rib on the front of the stem, and oval bowl, as is usual for early Hanoverians. The spoon also has two lovely family crests (correctly engraved on the back of the stem), the first is a snake twisting around a pillar, the second a raised fist holding wheatsheaves, with crosses in the background. The rat-tail pattern first appeared in 1710, the rat-tail disappeared from Hanoverians in 1730. The spoon also has very clear bottom marked hallmarks, including a very clear makers mark (RO under stags head) for Nathaniel Roe. This is a rare mark, it is not recorded in Jackson, and the mark in Grimwade (mark 2396) was a poor impression, largely conjectural, and was undated by Grimwade. The mark is recorded by Wyler (pg 148). Roe was a largeworker who worked in London between 1710 and 1717, when his newly born son died aged 4 days. He then left London for Norwich, where he continued work as a silversmith. He became Sherriff of Norwich in 1737.

A Cape silver Basting spoon in the Old English pattern, of good gauge, very suitable for use. Whilst the spoon is Old English pattern, the drop is definitely not English in style, it has a European flavour (which shows the different influences on Cape Silversmiths of the time). The hallmarks are very clear, makers mark WGL struck twice, and the inverted L device used by Lotter (mark 95 in Welz). The Lotter family are important in the history of Cape silver, with 12 members of the family known to have produced silver. Willem Godfried, who made this spoon, worked from 1810 - 1835, and is known for good quality work.

Fiddle pattern Cape teaspoon, with clear hallmarks (Welz no 27) including initials, 2 ladder device in ball, 2 shell device.

Cape Silver teaspoon in the Old English pattern, with very clear hallmarks, IC and shell. Combrink worked from Dorp Street.

A pair of Indian Colonial silver salt and pepper castors, cylindrical in shape standing on a raised circular foot, with removable dome shaped lids. Each castor has 3 gadrooned rims, and retain their original engraving "salt" and "pepper". The pepper castor has smaller holes in a different pattern (salt having larger holes for shaking), the pepper also has its original interior gilding. A similar pair is depicted on page 152 of "Indian Colonial Silver" by Wilkinson, who describes their shape and design as being unique to Indian Colonial silver (pg 165). The hallmarks include makers mark TB&Co, 2 pseudo marks (crowned lion passant and lion rampant holding a crown, pg 155 Wilkinson). The lion rampant mark is a reproduction of the crest of the HEIC (Honorable East India Company), which may have indicated official patronage (Wilkinson, pg 155). Twentyman & Beck, who worked between 1822 and 1826 from 4 Tank Square, Calcutta, were also the only Indian Colonial firm to use a crowned lion passant. The 2 castors also h...

A rare pair of Scottish Provincial gravy (or serving or basting) spoons in the Oar pattern, which is a scarce variant of Fiddle pattern (Fiddle without shoulders), only found in Scotland (Pickford, Silver Flatware, pg. 111). Both spoons are engraved in contempory style with the letter "M", and are in such lovely condition that they do not appear to have been used (note the lovely spoon tips). Both have clear Scottish Provincial hallmarks, makers mark RK struck 3 times, and the Perth double headed eagle town mark struck twice. Robert Keay worked in Perth between 1791 and 1825, from the style of these spoons they were made between 1800 and 1805, when Oar pattern was popular in Scotland. A very similar gravy spoon, also by Robert Keay of Perth, is depicted in Ian Pickford's Silver Flatware book, figure 145, pg. 111.

A rare Cape silver Basting (or Serving) spoon in the Old English pattern, this is a good quality spoon suited for use as a serving spoon. The spoon has a colonial feel, it has an unusual rectangular shaped drop, so was probably made before 1820 when English silversmiths arrived in the Cape and influenced styles. The spoon is quite plain, no crests or initials, but it is engraved "IV" on the back of the stem. This engraving is original and quite crude (typically colonial), perhaps done by the owner himself, possibly indicating it was once part of a set. The hallmarks are excellent, makers mark IC between 2 devices (flowers?), mark 27 in "Cape Silver" by Welz. Johan Combrink was a prolific and well regarded Cape silversmith, he worked between 1814 and 1853, and was based in Dorp street.

A lovely early Cape tablespoon in the Hanoverian pattern, with turn-up end. This spoon only has the makers hallmark, which is very worn but still faintly visible. Lotter generally only struck his makers mark, as is the case on this spoon. Lotter, who was part of a large family of silversmiths working in the Cape, was an extremely competent silversmith who made the Cape Town Lutheran Church chalice to match one made in Amsterdam in 1765.

A set of 3 Cape silver tablespoons by Johannes Combrink, who worked in Cape Town between 1814 and 1853. These spoons are excellent quality and robust, well suited for use. The spoons resemble the Old English pattern, but are Continental in design, with a V shaped drop, strong lip on tip and flattening to the top half of the handles. Given the Continental style of these spoons, which is confined to early Cape flatware, we can assume they were made early in Combrink's career, probably between 1814 (when Combrink started producing silver) and 1820, when the English 1820 settlers arrived in the Cape, bringing with them English styles. Each spoon has a small identification nick on the back at the top of the handle (1-2 mm). The makers mark IC (Welz mark 32) is clearly struck on all 3 spoons.

A Cape Silver tablefork in the Old English pattern, with very clear Cape silver hallmarks. The marks include makers mark IL in circular punch struck twice, with an attractive flower mark (mark 74 in Cape Silver by Welz). This fork has contemporary rough, lightly scratched initials MT, probably the original owner, on the back of the fork. This matches item S1148, which is already sold. Jan Lotter was an excellent silversmith, who made most of the Cape lemoenlepels (orange spoons) found today. He traded from Keerom Street, and probably died young, as he only worked between 1813 and 1817.

A magnificent set of 13 gilded silver Italian apostle spoons, featuring the 12 apostles on the smaller spoons and the "Master" on the larger spoon - all in their original box. They are extremely good quality and well made, the cast finials have very fine detail. The stems are twisted with a beaded design, and a winged female angel joins the bowls to the stems. Each apostle is named on the back of the finial in Italian - (S. Pilip, Giag, Paol, Luca, Mat, Bart, Piet, And, Tom, Mar, Giov, Sim). The spoon bowls are all made of silver coins (Piastra's) from the Papal States (which included most of central Italy in the 18th century) dated between 1676 and 1802. The coins have the Papal Arms for the following Popes: Innocento XI (1676-1689), Alessandro XIII (1689-1691), Innocento XII (1691-1700), Clement XI (1700-1721), Clement XII (1730-1740), Clement XIV (1769-1774), Pius VI (1775-1799) and Pius VII (1800-1823). Two of the coins, dated 1691, are "Sede Vacante" - translated "The Seat is Empty", meaning they were m...

A matching set consisting of a Cape Silver tablefork and dessertfork, in the Old English pattern, with matching contemporary initials DJ, probably the original owner. The initials are engraved on the back of the forks, in Georgian style. Both forks are good quality, with long tines, and are a good weight. The hallmarks on both are excellent, very well struck and clear, consisting of makers mark IC between the shell and ladder devices used by Combrink. It is interesting to note that the devices are not struck in the same order, so their placement by the silversmith was probably random. This is a combination of marks 26 - 28 in Cape Silver by Welz. Combrink was a member of the well regarded Combrink family of Cape silversmiths.

Pear shaped baluster caster with spreading base made by the Daniel's, who specialised in casters. Initials ELN are scratch engraved on the base. Both pieces are clearly hallmarked.

A very rare Cape silver tablespoon in the Old English pattern, by a very rare maker whose work is seldom seen. The makers mark FLH is excellent, very well struck, this is accompanied by an anchor mark in a circular punch (mark 51 in Cape Silver by Welz). Herman (or Hermann) was born in the Cape in 1778, he worked between 1810 and 1811 from 38 Long Street. He was regarded as "one of the finest of all Cape silversmiths" by David Heller, in his book History of Cape Silver. He made a very fine covered sugar bowl, which is depicted on pg 101 of Cape Silver by Stephan Welz.

A Scottish provincial silver basting (or gravy) spoon in the Fiddle pattern, made by Alexander Cameron in Dundee, with Edinburgh hallmarks for 1824. The spoon is good quality and has a good feel, it is suitable for use as a serving spoon. The hallmarks are excellent, and include the "CAM over ERON" and "DUN over DEE" marks used by Cameron, along with very clear Edinburgh marks. Cameron was apprenticed to Robert Keay of Perth, and worked between 1818 and 1849. Following the re-imposition of duties in Great Britian in 1784, a duty mark had to be struck on silver, which in Scotland could only be done in Edinburgh. This meant that the provincial silversmiths had to submit their silver to Edinburgh - often a long arduous journey, so few did. By the 1820's when this spoon was made, provincial silversmiths such as Cameron submitted a portion of their silver to Edinburgh, to satisfy the authorities.

A rare Scottish Provincial pointed end tablespoon, with excellent hallmarks by a scarce maker. The spoon has script initial M (contempory) above the number 8, we assume its position in its original set. The spoon has some overall wear, but is a good weight, still a lovely spoon. Pointed end spoons are uniquely Scottish, the style was never adopted in England. The hallmarks are well struck and very clear, makers mark S.L struck twice, with the Dundee pot of lilies and date letter m. Similar makers can be seen on lot 190, Woolley & Wallis sale of a private collection of Scottish Provincial Flatware, January 2009.

Lovely scottish provincial tablespoon with characteristic celtic point, with the silversmiths surname incised. Initial A. The hallmarks include the crowned shield and "flaming heart" used by Douglas.

A beautiful miniature Kings pattern knife and fork set in original box, probably a christening present. Complete hallmarks on knife, very clear. Hadfield was a well known Sheffield flatware maker

A Scottish provincial antique silver toddy ladle, in the Fiddle pattern, engraved with script initials TIR. The bowl is quite wide (5.0 cm) and oval in shape. The hallmarks are very clear and well struck, makers mark R&S and the A,B and D of Aberdeen struck separately. Middleton Rettie and Sons worked in Aberdeen between 1824 and 1891, they are known for their very fine silver.