A set of 24 silver knives, 12 table knives and matching 12 dessert (or bread) knives, in the Louis XIV pattern, made by the leading silversmiths of the period. The knives are very good quality, perfectly suited for regular use. The knives have sterling silver handles and steel blades. The pattern is a Kings pattern variant, with shell and reeded edge, this particular pattern is the Louis XIV pattern. All 24 knives are fully hallmarked, with R&B makers mark for Roberts & Belk, and Sheffield hallmarks (some 1970, some 1971, so the set crossed the date letter change). Roberts & Belk were founded in 1810, in 1960 they were acquired by CJ Vander, the leading silversmiths of the period.

A silver and enamel vesta case, with a circular enamel plaque depicting a smokers pipe and the words "Just one more". The case is rectangular, the interior and strike are gilded, so lovely quality inside. The vesta also has a suspension ring. The hallmarks are clear, the initials LA are engraved next to the hallmarks, we suspect an owners mark rather than makers mark.

A pair of Victorian silver vine leaf wine labels, pierced for Rum and Gin. The labels are single leaf symmetrical, with a textured front, these are die stamped labels. The hallmarks are clear on both labels.

A rat tail Hanoverian pattern tablespoon, with clear hallmarks. The spoon the traditional rat tail used before 1730, the Hanoverian rib on the front of the stem, and original owners engraved initials W*C on the back of the stem, as is usual for 18th century spoons. 3 hallmarks are very clear, the crowned leopards head has excellent detail. The makers mark W.S in oval punch is partially worn, the W slightly worn. William Soame was freed in 1720, he was a largeworked, he died in 1772, after being retired "many years". (Grimwade page 665, mark 3295).

A great quality early Georgian Hanoverian tablespoon, with excellent hallmarks. The spoon has no engraving, a long (almost double) drop, and a long elegant shaped bowl. The spoon is 70 grammes, so quite heavy, quite pleasing to hold. All 4 hallmarks are excellent, which is unusual as the marks are often squashed on these early spoons. They include lion passant and leopards head crowned, both with good detail, date letter d for 1739 and makers mark P.R in script, under shell in oval, in unusual punch shape, (Grimwade mark 2229), described as "domed grooveform" (Poole, Identifying British Silver, page 15). Philip Roker was born in 1693, apprenticed to specialist spoonmaker Joseph Barbutt in 1707, and freed in 1720 (so an unusually long apprenticeship). he worked in Westminster and Greenwich as a largeworker and spoonmaker, until his death in 1757. He used this mark between 1739 and 1743. His father and sons were also silversmiths.

A Royal Navy Gold Officers Sweetheart brooch, with gold pin and clasp in full working order. The cast badge has the Royal Navy fouled anchor under Crown, surrounded by laurel wreath, the badge has good detail. No hallmarks are present, but we are certain the pin is solid gold (we assume 9 carat).

A matching set of six antique silver teaspoons and 2 saltspoons, all engraved with an Earl's coronet above monogram with letter C. The monogram is quite intricate, 2 S scrolls intertwined, with central letter C. The spoons are good quality, teaspoons 28 grammes each, all have a double drop. The hallmarks are clear on all 8 spoons, the makers mark LAC is only lightly struck, but still visible. Lionel Alfred Crichton, 1890-1938, was known for it's fine quality replica silver. Lionel Crichton also set auction records for silver purchases in 1914, he paid the record sum of 5600 pounds at Christies for a silver standing salt, dated 1508 (Henry VIII), from Lord Ashburnham's collection. He had retail outlets in Bond Street London, and New York.

A set of fabulous quality antique silver teaspoons, in the Fiddle and Thread pattern, made by the leading silversmiths of the Victorian era. The teaspoons are quite large and a very pleasing weight, over 30 grammes each, they have engraved initials AMI. The hallmarks are excellent on all 6 teaspoons.

A sterling silver and white enamel Guildhall School of Music & Drama medallion, perfectly preserved in it's original box. The medallion is good quality, a pleasing weight, with music scrolls, mask and City of London crest. The medallion reads "DIPLOMA L.G.S.M.", for Licentiate of the Guildhall of the School of Music. The back is engraved "Albert Edward Honey Teachers' Flute", surrounded by laurel wreath. Albert Honey was born in Devon in 1919, he was principal flute for the Band of Royal Dragoons during the war. He then joined the Scottish National Orchestra from 1951-1954 and BBC Review Orchestra 1954-1964. He then emigrated to South Africa to teach at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, he retired in 1984 after being awarded M.Mus and Ph.D. He palayed in the National Symphony Orchestra after retirement and died in 2001. The hallmarks are clear.

A fabulous cast silver vine leaf wine label, pierced for Sherry, made by Benjamin Smith II for Rundell & Bridge. The label is single leaf, symmetrical in design, with textured finish, with a vine branch for attachment to the chain. The label is large and heavy, at 41 grammes one of the heaviest we have encountered. Most vine leaf labels are stamped from dies, and as such are much lighter. The book "Wine Labels 1730 -2003" notes that "Philip Rundell and Benjamin Smith III produced elegant cast symmetrical leaf labels" (page 90), and they depict a similar label, for Burgundy (fig 342, page 91), but with different vine stem design. The hallmarks are clear for 1832, no town mark is present. The makers mark BS in rectangular shield is clearly visible, but slightly obscured by the underlying texture of the leaf. This is mark 230 in Grimwade "London Goldsmiths" for Benjamin Smith II, different in shape and style from the marks used by Benjamin Smith III, his son, so at odds with quote from Wine Labels above. Benjami...

An interesting solid gold bar brooch, with a natural gold nugget, set with a round brilliant diamond. The nugget is a beautiful shape and size, approximately 5 grams, with tiny quartz crystals confirming it is natural. The diamond is approximately .20 carats, 0.4 mm diameter, is a round brilliant cut, colour G/H and clarity VS. The bar brooch itself is 15 carat gold, it is hallmarked 15C, and has makers mark CM. This brooch is accompanied by a valuation certificate from The Gem Lab Gemmological Services, confirming replacement value of R 20800, and confirming the diamond and gold details above.

A delightful sterling silver Christening bowl or porringer, decorated with the "Three Bears" of Goldilocks fame walking past engraved trees. The bowl is good quality, quite heavy, the bears are cast and applied, the detail is lovely. The bowl is engraved "Mappin & Webb Ltd, London & Sheffield", and all the hallmarks are excellent. Mappin and Webb was founded in 1859, it still exists today and is one of Britain's most prestigious brands. In addition to Royal Warrants, Mappin and Webb are the Crown Jeweller. The was produced just after the end of World War II, silver was very cheap, items from this period are often heavy and superb quality. One of the nicest Christening present a baby could hope to receive. Note - we have 2 matching items, a plate and mug, S 1981 and S1982.

A 15 carat gold and enamel RAF (Royal Air Force) sweetheart brooch, with red and green enamel, perfectly preserved in it's original leather and silk box. The only hallmark present is 15CT for fifteen carat gold. The box is lovely, and reads "Royal Appointment, Gieves Ltd, 21 Old Bond St London W1". Gieves is now Gieves and Hawkes after the acquisition of Hawkes in 1974, they hold Royal Warrants for the Royal Family and the Prince of Wales, now at 1 Savile Row.

A beautiful pair of miniature antique silver pastry servers, perfectly preserved in their original box. The servers are in the Kings Husk pattern, single struck, this is a variant of the Kings pattern without the central honeysuckle decoration, and a husk shell. Both servers are a similar size and shape, one had a flat spade shape blade and the other has a serrated prong front, so quite versatile. The hallmarks on both are very clear. The box reads "By Appointment to his Excellency The Governor of Cape Colony, Morris Bros, Jewellers & Silversmiths, Kimberley & Johannesburg". We have not been able to trace any information about Morris Brothers, all assistance welcome. Note - We have now traced a 1905 advert for John Round & Son, they claim to be "The largest spoon and fork makers in the world".

A rare pair of Tudor pattern sauce ladles, made by Chawner & Co, the leading flatware maker of Victorian England. The ladles are fabulous quality, and in excellent condition, they could not be better. The Tudor pattern is a Gothic Revival pattern, it has 2 small scroll circular projections on each side of the stem, this differentiates it from the "Straight Tudor" pattern. Both ladles are clearly hallmarked, they also carry the British Registry design number and date chart diamond, which rarely occurs on silver flatware - class I for metal, date letter v for 1850, and R 14 indicating 14 August. The presence of the design mark indicates the Chawner protected the design to protect it being copied. Tudor is described by Pickford (Silver Flatware page 150) as "a rare Chawner & Co pattern registered August 14th 1850, along with Straight Tudor, it appears in the Chawner Pattern book (page 218). Odd pieces may on rare occasions, be found, but building a service would be extremely difficult". The Tudor pattern is sh...

A set of Art Deco sterling silver demitasse or coffee spoons, perfectly preserved in original box. The spoons have a horseshoe shaped bowl, and long elegant tapered handles. All 6 spoons have clear hallmarks. The box reads "L Pinn & Co, Jewellers, 43-45 Adderley Street, Cape Town. Lazerus Pinn was a Lithuanian emigrant who arrived in Cape Town in the 1880's, he opened the jewellery store in 1893, it has remained in the family and still trades today under the leadership of Jeremy Pinn.

A Liberty & Co Arts and Crafts sterling silver sugar bowl, with a planished (hand hammered) squat circular body. The jug is decorated with embossed celtic style buttons (8) and matching border, with a little heart shaped design. The bowl sits on 4 button feet, and has plain handles. The bowl is clearly hallmarked with Liberty's distinctive L&Co in diamond shaped punch mark, along with Birmingham hallmarks for 1928. The bowl also has a design number, 50014, perhaps some-one with access to the Liberty archives will be able to do further research. Arthur Liberty used his shop to showcase the work of leading designers, including Archibald Knox, Rex Silver, Bernard Cuzner and Jessie King (Liberty's, Biography of a Shop, A Adburgham, 1975, pg 81). It is possible this bowl was designed by one of these designers. The Liberty store founded in 1875, and still thrives today. Their current Tudor Revival building on Great Marlborough Street was completed in 1924, using the timbers of 2 warships. Note- we have a matching ...

A set of six Art Deco sterling silver grapefruit spoons, in perfect condition. The spoons have fluted bowls, with strong tips for digging into grapefruit, the bowls are also gilded. The finials are pierced, the design looks like a stylised Fleur-De-Lys, reminds us of a Gothic arch. All 6 spoons have clear hallmarks.

A private die silver serving or basting spoon featuring a King Protea, South Africa's national flower. The pattern is single struck, and contains a well modelled King Protea on the end of the spoon, the stem is decorated with a triple ribbed pattern with bands, ending in a diamond shape at the spoon bowl. We imagine this is a rare pattern, probably a special commission for a South African event or for a family with South African ties (all suggestions welcome). The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark R.C for William Comyns & Sons, a firm that dates back to 1856, and still exists today. They are an important firm, their archive contains over 30 thousand patterns (in the V&A), they made all the coronets for the Queen's coronation. The spoon also has an additional hallmark in a very strange place, at the back of the spoon where the stem joins the bowl, this mark is circular and contains 3 C's in a pattern, we have now established this back to back C's hallmark is a trademark used exclusively by William C...

A very interesting (and large) Odd Fellows antique silver medallion or pendant, with a central Brittannia surrounded by a laurel wreath, in silver, on blue (enamel?) background, covered by glass. The oval medallion is engraved "VOTED BY THE YARMOUTH BRITANNIC LODGE OF ODD FELLOWS TO G. BOATWRIGHT P.G. 29 MARCH 1843". This is surrounded by an attractive engraved chain, the border is also engraved. The hallmarks are clear, and include the distinctive J.D makers mark with indented corners (Grimwade 3421). Dallinger was an engraver, lithographer and copper plate maker, he first worked in Ipswitch from 1824 and moved to Norwich in 1829 when he made this medallion. He is known as a maker of Odd Fellow regalia. The Odd Fellows is a Fraternal Society promoting philanthropy and charity, it dates back to 1745 and still exists today.