A lovely pair of decorative Hanau silver Christening (or anointing) spoons, with an Apostle carrying a baby standing on a winged cherub's head. The stems are twisted, the base decorated with a peacock eating fruit, above a face. The back of the bowls are richly decorated with a diamond pattern and scrolling foliage, and the spoons have a rat tail. The spoons are cast, and as such are quite solid, with a pleasing weight. As is usual with Hanau silver, they are replica's of fine 17th century German silver. The spoons, which have no Hanau hallmarks, were imported into Britian in 1889 by David Bridge of the firm John Smith & Co, as can be seen by makers mark D.B and capital F (hallmark for foreign silver, used between 1867 and 1903). The spoons also have date letter O for 1889. The hallmarks on both spoons are very clear. John Smith & Co. imported a great deal of decorative silver into Britian, much of which was of German origin, presumably Hanau (Culme, Gold and silversmiths).

A Cape silver Fiddle pattern dessert fork, with contemporary engraved initial M. The fork has excellent hallmarks, makers mark WM and the Cape Stub mark (see our articles section) consisting of 4 English pseudo hallmarks, Lion passant, date letter capital A, Georgian kings head duty mark and leopards head (town mark for London). The fork is very good quality and weight, and is suitable for use. The tines are very long, longer than usual, this fork has probably not been used. What is interesting about this Cape stub mark is that the punch is showing signs of wear, particularly the Leopards head. This lead to a mistake in Morrison (The Silversmiths and Goldsmiths of the Cape of Good Hope, 1936, pg 59), and later Heller (History of Cape Silver), where the hallmark is mistakenly drawn as an anchor (MM63 in Heller, pg 154).

A Cape silver tablespoon in the Old English pattern, with a very rare Cape silver hallmark. The spoon is good quality and weight, well preserved, and has a colonial V shaped drop. The hallmarks include makers mark WM, and a very rare Cape silver stub mark that is not depicted in Cape Silver by Welz (Welz shows the regular Cape stub mark, used by 5 silversmiths including Moore, with 4 pseudo English marks). This stub mark has the lion passant, a gothic capital A, smiling leopards head and Queen Victoria duty mark, with detailed hair. As can be seen, this is a very different stub from the one usually seen, struck with a different punch (Welz mark 100). This rare stub mark is depicted by Heller (History of Cape Silver) as MM62 (pg 154), the regular Cape stub mark is MM61 (see also our articles section for an article on the Cape stub). The hallmarks are very well struck, this is a perfect example. A third stub mark, including an anchor, is also depicted in Heller (MM63), this same mark is also present in Morrison...

A Chinese Export silver dessertspoon in the Fiddle pattern, made by the respected maker Khecheong in Canton. The spoon has no engraving or any signs of removal of engraving. The hallmarks are clear, and include pseudo duty mark, pseudo crowned leopards head town mark, pseudo lion passant and makers mark KHC (slight wear to K). Khecheong was one of the most prolific Chinese Export silversmiths, he worked from Club Street, Honam Island, Canton between 1840 and 1870. He has been described as a "good silversmith" Forbes, Chinese Export Silver 1785-1885, page 255 - a book we highly recommend.

A beautiful matching antique Swedish silver souvenir spoon and fork, with exquisite detail, featuring Stockholms Slott. Both are gilded, and have the Swedish Coat of Arms with red and blue enamel, on an ornate pedestal, with gadrooned stem, and rectangular feature at the base, The spoon bowl features "Stockholms Slott", with fabulous detail, palace, equestrian statue, trees, streetlights and pedestrians. Both are clearly hallmarked, C.G. Hallberg, triple crown national mark, Stockholm town mark and date letters T6 and U6 for 1896 and 1897. The original box, in full working order, reads "H.K.H. Kronprinsens Hof Juvelerare, C.G. Hallberg, Stockholm, Goteborg". Without doubt one of the best quality and nicest souvenir sets we have seen.

An Exeter silver sifter ladle in the Fiddle pattern, with an engraved family crest featuring a dog or wolf. The sifter is the traditional shape, with beautiful scroll and cross-hatch piercing. The hallmarks are excellent, and include makers mark JAP, Victoria duty mark, lion passant, castle town mark and date letter gothic C for 1839. James Andrew Page worked between 1833 and 1862 in Plymouth, he died in 1898. In 1862 the business became Page, Keen & Page, which survived being destroyed by bombs in 1941, and merged with Bowdens in 1970. Page, Keen & Page produced interesting silver replica spoons complete with early Plymouth hallmarks.

A rare Cape twisted stem teaspoon, with spearhead handle and typical Cape floral engraving, and clear hallmarks. It is very similar to those made by Jan Byleveld circa 1820, so we can only assume it was made by Vos to match an earlier one made by Byleveld. Vos worked from 127 Long Street for 8 years, before dying at the young age of 27. He was one of the last working Cape silversmiths.

A Cheshire Regiment 9 ct gold sweetheart brooch, with "Cheshire Regt" in blue enamel under the regimental oak leaves. The pin is stamped "9ct gold", no other hallmarks are present. The pin is still in its original box, marked "Dimmer & Son, 20 Eastgate Row, Chester". The regiment was raised in 1689, and won the distinction of wearing the oak leaves at Dettingen, for protecting the king during the battle. The regimental motto is "Ever Glorious". They fought numerous engagements in the Anglo Boer War, including the capture of Johannesburg, and also raised 38 battalions during the Great war. In 2007 the regiment was merged into the Mercian regiment.

A Victorian sterling silver and Mother of Pearl (MOP) pocket fruit knife, engraved FRIARSQUAD on a silver insert in the MOP handle. The knife is the standard form, with folding sterling silver blade and MOP handle, it has a pleasing feel, an enjoyable object to carry around in your pocket. We are not certain as to the meaning of Friarsquad, all assistance welcome, it could be Friar Squad or Friars Quad, which now include sports teams and beer brands. The knife is clearly hallmarked with makers mark JYC for John Yeomans Cowlishaw, who is described in the book "Pocket Fruit Knives" by Simon Moore, page 158 as "remarkable". Moore says "knives at this time were top quality, using the foremost of pearl cutters, his (JYC) workshop produced some of the finest mid 19th century knives. He became a pillar of the Sheffield community, but died by his own hand in 1894, following the death of his wife". Other hallmarks include Sheffield town mark, lion passant and date letter P.

Silver pierced vine leaf sherry label, made by the highly regarded Rawlings and Summers. The hallmarks, which are small but very clear, are on the front of the label. The chain appears original.

A charming Dutch silver miniature foot stove, also called a foot warmer. The stove is bucket shaped, circular with a swing handle, and has an engraved 6 pointed star on top, with 6 holes on each star point, and a central flower shaped hole. This is surrounded by a zig zag pattern, repeated on the sides (top and bottom), the engraving is done by hand and is a little crude. The aperture on the side (for loading wood or coals) is also shaped in an eight pointed pattern. The base has one hallmark, a makers mark, Z2, for Karel Nicolaas zur Muhlen (mark 22153, in the book Netherlands Responsibility Marks since 1797).Muhlen worked between 1895 and 1905, he moved between Roosendaal, Alkmaar, Arnhem and Hertogenbosch. The handle ring is struck by the Dutch silver dagger, used between 1814 and 1953 on small items. A similar Dutch silver miniature foot stove is depicted in the book "Tall and Small, Antique Dutch Silver Miniatures by Aardewerk, item 40, this one made in 1771 in Amsterdam by Jan Bonket.

A pair of Cape silver dessert forks in the Fiddle pattern, with contemporary engraved initials "WHG". The initials are engraved on the back of the forks, indicating the fashion to place forks with tines down at that time. The forks are very good quality, a pleasing weight and are in excellent condition. The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark WM and the "Cape Stub" mark, with 4 pseudo English hallmarks (see our articles section for a description of the Cape Stub).

A Boer War silver belt buckle, with pith helmet above 2 crossed rifles with bayonets attached, surrounded by a wreath with the British national flowers (rose, thistle, shamrock and leek). The engraving is quite attractive. Unfortunately we have not been able to identify the regiment, we have seen nurse's buckles similar to this, but feel the presence of rifles makes a nursing attribution unlikely.

A Tiffany sterling silver Olympian pattern sugar tongs, of very good quality, and with no monograms. Olympian pattern depicts various different scenes from Greek mythology, and has been described as the most elaborate and complex of all Tiffany flatware patterns. This scene shows Pan with 4 nymphs or satyrs, with horns and goat leg hindquarters, one nymph with erect phallus (which must be pretty unique on a flatware pattern!), demonstrating Pan's status as fertility God. Ther tongs are hallmarked "M Tiffany & Co Sterling PAT 1878". The M indicates a date between 1875 and 1891. Note - We have now identified this motif in Olympian as "Satyrs receiving instruction", no 17 of 17 different motif's in this pattern, as described in the original catalog. the instructions come from Sylvanus, a rural deity (Tiffany Silver Flatware 1845-1905, page 215) - a book we highly recommend.

A Coin silver American tablespoon in the Fiddle pattern, made by A F Burbank in Boston, Massachusetts, made around 1853. The spoon is the usual American Fiddle pattern, quite different to English Fiddle pattern, with flat broad handle and pointed bowl. The spoon has very clear hallmarks, A.F. Burbank. and Boston, which are both well struck and very clear. This is the earlier Burbank mark, the later one is incuse, hence we believe this spoon was made early in his career. The spoon has a 3rd hallmark, a very small swan in oval punch (tiny but very clear), this is a French import mark used between 1893 and 1970, indicating legal fineness, so this spoon spent some time in France (Tardy, international Hallmarks, pg 208). The term "Coin Silver" is used for American silver flatware made before 1870 that is not Sterling, slightly lower grade at 90% silver (sterling is 92.5%), made from melted coins, prior to discovery of silver in the USA.

An interesting British Arts & Crafts medallion, which could be worn as a pendant. The pendant has the Manchester Coat of Arms, complete with sailing ship and globe signifying Manchester's world trade, with bees on the globe signifying the industrial revolution. The supporters include an antelope and lion, and the motto "Concilio et Labore", translated "By Wisdom and Effort". The medallion also has Arts and Crafts symbols, including hammer & anvil, paintboard and brush, and hammer & wheel. The back is engraved "Awarded to Mabel Maynard for Miniature Painting, Manchester April 1901". The hallmarks are clear, and the loop is also hallmarked.

Scottish Fiddle pattern table forks, appear unused, with tines in excellent condition. Very clear hallmarks.

Beautiful pair of Fiddle pattern Cape salt spoons. Vos died age 27 in 1862, having been a silversmith for 8 years at 127 Long street in Cape Town. Very clear hallmarks showing makers initials, in hexagonal outline, and pseudo English sterling and duty mark.

A Victorian Canadian silver teaspoon, manufactured by Robert Hendery of Montreal, Quebec, and retailed by unknown G&B (all assistance welcome). The spoon has quite interesting and attractive engraving, a flower and foliage, we have not seen this design before. The hallmarks are clear, retailers mark G&B who we have not been able to identify. The pseudo Lion rampant in oval (copied from the Glasgow town mark) and pseudo duty mark with clipped corners clearly identify the maker as Robert Hendery of Montreal (1837-1897), the most prolific Canadian silversmith, who is known to have manufactured for many smaller silversmiths and retailers.

A Fiddle pattern Cape Silver teaspoon, with very clear Cape silver pseudo hallmarks. The spoon have no engraving. The hallmarks include maker mark JJV in script, in an unusual 6 sided punch, between pseudo lion passant and pseudo duty mark, this is Queen Victoria, complete with hair bun. Jacobus Johannes Vos was born in 1834, the son of silversmith Willem Vos, he worked between 1854 and 1861, when he died early age 27, still unmarried. He was clearly a talented silversmith as he left behind good quality silver. Note - We have a matching pair of teaspoons S 11569.