A Scottish Provincial sterling silver brooch from Aberdeen, with a silver rim surrounding a polished oval pink granite. Aberdeen is known as the "Granite City", with its' building stone quarried from Rubislaw Quarry. The brooch is hallmarked with makers mark R&S and ABD, the unofficial Aberdeen town mark. Rettie and Son worked between 1824 and 1892, and are well known for their jewellery with the local granite (Benjamin, Antique Jewellery, page 92). The book "Aberdeen Silver, A Collectors Guide, Michael Wilson, pg 56, describes Rettie & Sons as "famous for silver and granite jewellery" Wilson also explains that the salmon pink granite used in this brooch is from the Corrennie Quarry, granite from Rubislaw is grey (pg 14).
A set of 6 teaspoons and matching jamspoon in original box, designed to commemorate the inauguration of the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria on 16 December 1949. The front of the spoons have the Boer oxwagon wheel and powder horns, along with the Zulu shield and assegaai (spear). The rear has an outline of the Voortrekker Monument, with inscription "1949 SVK UWB". These spoons are good quality, with cast design. SVK stands for Sentrale Volksmonumente Komitee (Central Peoples Monument Committee) which was formed in 1931, with the aim to build a monument to honour the Voortrekkers (Pioneers) who left the Cape Colony in 1835. The spoons were sold to assist raising funds for the building of the monument, which cost GBP 350000. The hallmarks are clear on all spoons. The spoons were designed by the famous South African artist W.H. Coetzer, the original design is in MuseumAfrika in Johannesburg, and depicted in " Catalogue of Pictures in the Africana Museum", vol 6, pg 157, C1113. Willem Hermanus Coetzer also design...
A pretty Glove button hook, with silver ring for suspension from a chain. The handle is polished honey coloured tigers eye, a gemstone, the silver hook has attractive engraving. Buttonhooks for gloves were much smaller than those used for boots. This could be worn as a necklace pendant. The hallmarks are small but visible.
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.
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).
Cape Silver tablefork (Fiddle pattern) with interesting horse crest, initials HR and very clear hallmarks. The hallmarks include Pseudo English marks and the makers mark.
A rare Dutch silver Hanoverian tablespoon (porridge spoon) made by Hendricus Johannes Wolterbeek in Nijmegen in 1770. The spoon has the usual central Hanoverian rib with strong turn-up, and a very wide circular drop, and a larger bowl than is usually seen. The spoon has an original engraved family crest of a well engraved crown above a stylised X, with flowing scrolls, this is on the back of the spoon, when spoons were displayed bowl down. The spoon's main delight are it's well struck and very clear hallmarks, including makers mark of crowned tree in irregular shaped punch for Hendricus Wolterbeek (1730-1805, he worked between 1755 and 1788). The second mark is a crowned double headed eagle city mark for Nijmegen, the third is a intricately crowned N 1st Standard (Grote keur, sterling 925 standard) mark for Nijmegen, the last mark is a crowned O date letter for 1770.
A Cape silver salt spoon in the Fiddle pattern, with no engraving or gilding. The spoon has clear hallmarks, makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (duty mark, date letter d, castle town mark and bird), this is mark 132 in Cape Silver by Welz, but with the individual marks struck in a different order.
A delightful pair of miniature silver toy spoons, in the Hanoverian pattern, with scroll backs. The spoons have original owners engraved initials J.P and S.P respectively, the engraving is crude, done by an amateur, but with loads of character (one possibility is these were given to twins as birth spoons). The engraving is on the back of the spoons, as is usual with 18th century examples. The spoons are clearly a matching pair, but have differences in the handle sizes (one being slightly wider), so clearly hand made. Both spoons have 2 hallmarks, lion passant and makers mark WP for William Pinder, marks are slightly worn, one is better than the other. Pinder was a smallworker, he worked between 1770 and 1784. Small spoons smaller than teaspoon size have traditionally been described as snuff spoons, they vary from 4 to 9 cm, (1.5 - 3.5 inches). Newer research has noted the wide variety of sizes, and suggested the smaller ones are snuff, and larger ones are toy spoons. Scroll back spoons were popular 1760-1770,...
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 Cape silver salt spoon in the Fiddle pattern, with original gilding to the spoon bowl. The gilding is a lemony colour, and quite well preserved, some scratches from use. The hallmarks are very clear, Welz mark 121, 3 pseudo English marks (duty, date letter a and lions head town mark) are individually struck. The makers mark JT looks like it has been double struck, this is still clear. John Townsend (1800-1875) was an interesting character, descibed by Heller as one of the top 5 Cape silversmiths. He arrived in the Cape in 1821 on the ship Duke of Marlboro, and was involved in a number of businesses, including a hotel and auctioneering business, in addition to being goldsmith, silversmith, jeweller and watchmaker. He was embroiled in a number of court cases, mostly due to bad debt, in 1849 he stated "insufficient means to support his 10 children". He moved to Okiep in Namaqualand in 1852 as Manager of Spektakel Copper Mine, but was insolvent by 1868. He died in 1875, and is buried in the Springbok cemetery....
An interesting set of good quality sterling silver teaspoons, with an unusual Art Deco stylised floral design. The design has 3 leaves on a long stem between 2 bars, with balls (berries?) above and below the bars, oval above and round below. The top of the spoons has an oval shield and pointed terminal, this is quite an elegant design. All 6 spoons have clear hallmarks on the back of the bowl, with makers mark O.W&S, we believe Owen Williams & Sons of Sheffield. Any information about this design would be most welcome.
A pair of antique sterling silver shoe buckles, made in Birmingham in 1912. The buckles are rectangular with canted corners, with a supporting centre strut for attachment to a shoe. Both buckles are clearly hallmarked, one makers mark has been over-stamped by the Levi & Salaman makers mark, so they were probably the retailers. Shoe buckles were fashion accessories for both men and women from the mid 17th century for the next few hundred years.
A Chinese export silver tablespoon by Sunshing, with excellent hallmarks, they could not be better. The hallmarks include makers mark SS, both of the S's are very distinctive with a t junction at the end of the letter. Hallmarks also include English pseudo marks including lion passant (with fringes on the head), crowned leopard's head townmark, date letter C and duty mark.
A beautiful and very good quality antique silver spoon, commemorating the Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the throne) of Queen Victoria in 1897. The spoon has the Royal Coat of Arms and motto "Dieu et Mon Droit", a medallion bust of Queen Victoria, a Scottish thistle, VR for "Victoria Reigns", and the dates 1837-1897. The spoon is a pleasing weight and quality, this would have been an expensive souvenir in its day. The hallmarks are good, and include makers mark WG over JL, for William Gibson and John Langman. Gibson & Langman, originally from Belfast, Ireland, founded the famous Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co Ltd in 1880, which was amalgamated into Garrards in 1952. They used the WG/JL mark until 1898, when they switched to the more familiar G&S Co Ltd mark. John Langman equipped and maintained the Langman field hospital during the Boer War, he was created Baronet in 1906. A matching silver fork to this spoon was sold as Lot 38 in the postal auction of the Silver spoon club of Great Britain, March 2012, The Finia...
A lovely golfing memorabilia teaspoon, with enamel finial of a lady golfer in early 20th century dress. The teaspoon shaft has an attractive design, and the hallmarks are clear. A.J. Bailey worked from the Everest works in Tenby Street.
Attractive Art Deco cake forks of good gauge, these are solid and pleasant to hold, unlike many flimsier cakeforks we have seen. Hallmarks are very clear on all 6 forks.
Lovely silver and enamel brooch celebrating the end of the First World War. A dove is carrying a Victory / Peace banner, enclosed in a laurel wreath.
A set of 6 silver and enamel teaspoons, with the badge of the Transvaal Scottish Regiment. The badge has a Scottish thistle surrounded by heraldic strap and buckle, over the "Star of the Order of the Thistle". The motto "Alba nam Buadh" (Well done, Scotland or Scotland, Home of the Virtues) is underneath the thistle. All 6 teaspoons are fully hallmarked. James Fenton worked from Great Hampton St, Birmingham between 1905 and 1954.
A Scottish silver clan badge, which can be worn as a pendant or as a brooch or kilt sash pin. The badge comprises a "Lions Head Effrontee" (looking forward) with the motto "I Bear in Mind". This is the crest and motto of the Campbell clan of Barbreck. The Campbells are one of the most powerful clans of Scotland, descendants of King Robert Bruce. The Campbells of Barbreck are from the Argyll district. The badge is very good quality, the lion is cast and has lovely detail, it stands out from the badge. It is a pleasing weight, and hangs well from a chain. The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark RWF. The badge also has a silver plaque which reads " R.W. Forsyth Ltd, Edinburgh & Glasgow". R.W. Forsyth was a leading Scottish department store from 1897 until the 1980's.
