A magnificent Highland Light Infantry antique silver kilt sash brooch, used to hold the shoulder plaid in place. The brooch has the monogram HLI inside the Infantry French bugle horn, set on the diamond cut Star of the order of the Thistle, with Imperial King's crown above, and "ASSAYE" scroll and elephant below. This is surrounded by a thistle wreath with 30 battle honours, all earned before 1914, these include: "Carnatic, Hindustan, Sholingur, Mysore, Gibraltar 1780-83, Seringapatam, Assaye, Cape of Good Hope 1806, Rolica, Vimiera, Corunna, Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajos' Almaraz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula, Waterloo, South Africa 1851-2-3, Egypt 1882, Tel-el-Kebir, Modder River, South Africa 1899-1902". The wreath is surrounded by an engraved scrolling border. The HLI monogram, crown, Assaye scroll and Elephant are all gilded, the gold colour stands out against the silver background, this is a lovely feature. The brooch is made with from 3 sep...

A Cape Silver lemoen lepel, (orange spoon), in very good condition, and with very clear makers mark. This spoon is typical of the Cape lemoen lepels, with pointed terminal and bowl, the bowl itself eye shaped and quite deep. The spoon has typical Cape engraving, with a 4 petal flower and wrigglework along the edges of the handles. It also has a distinctive V joint connecting handle to bowl. The IC makers mark is well struck and clear (Welz mark 32 with canted corners). Welz describes orange spoons as"probably the most attractive type of spoon made at the Cape, derived from Dutch spoons", pg 95. He also notes that all known examples are by Cape born silversmiths of the early 19th century (so not made by the more prolific English immigrants who arrived after 1815). As far as we are aware, only Jan Lotter and Johannes combrink made lemoen lepels, probably between 1800 and 1815. Note - this spoon matches the pair S 1922 and single spoon S1923, but with slightly more wear to engraving.

A lovely antique silver and enamel vesta case, with an oval enamel plaque depicting a Beefeater (Yeoman Warder) of the Tower of London. The Beefeater is wearing Tudor State Dress, the colours are vibrant and the detail is good. The vesta case is rectangular, decorated with scrolling foliage, it has a safety suspension loop attached to the lid. The interior is gilded, this is a good quality case. The hallmarks are clear, including sword and wheatsheaves town mark for Chester. Charles Lyster & Son used the Chester assay office between 1899 and 1902, then switched to Spencer Street, Birmingham between 1903 and 1911 (perhaps linked to a change in location). The Yeoman Warders, commonly called Beefeaters, are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. They were established in 1485 as Royal Guards, the Beefeater name is thought to derive from the large ration of beef they were issued daily in court. They only wear the Tudor State Dress depicted on Royal occasions.

An Arts and Crafts sterling silver butter knife, made by the little known silversmith Denis Lacy-Hulbert. The knife has the traditionally shaped blade, for spreading, not cutting, and a flat rectangular stem which is planished (hand hammered, the blade is also planished), very similar in style to Puritan spoons. The hallmarks form part of the decoration, proudly struck on the front of the stems, evenly spaced, these are very clear, and include makers mark D L-H and the optional Silver Jubilee mark used in 1977 to celebrate 25 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth II. Denis (Ben) Lacy-Hulbert (1911-2005) was Managing Director of a family steel tube/ cylinder manufacturing business, silversmithing was a hobby, very few items are recorded by him. Denis also made antique replica items in 18 carat gold, notably a strawberry dish and tumber cups. Denis Lacy-Hulbert registered his mark in 1953, but most surviving work appears to be between 1972 and 1983, he was based in Chesterfield, Darbyshire. The business Lac...

A lovely little campana shaped silver caster, probably intended as a pepperette. The caster is the traditional campana shape (inverted bell shape, copied from a Greek krater), with gadrooning around the rim and lower portion, the lid is pierced with scrolls and dots, and has a ball finial. The interior is gilded (lid as well), to prevent corrosion, the gilding has a lemon colour. The hallmarks on caster are worn and partially visible, the hallmarks on the lid very clear. Eley and Fearn worked between 1798 and 1824, so this caster was made at the end of their partnership. They are known as prolific spoon makers, but made other items as well. The campana shape is usually associated with vases and wine coolers. the Warwick vase, perhaps the most famous of all English silver vases, copied from a Greek marble vase, is campana shaped.

An interesting and well travelled Georgian silver butterknife, with carved mother of pearl (nacre) handle. The butterknife has a scimitar shaped solid silver blade, with irregular wavy top, engraved with reeded bands and fan decoration. The handle has carved beads, bands and a fan like structure, this gives a good grip and pleasant feel in the hand. A silver ferrule covers the join between blade and handle. The knife is clearly hallmarked with 5 Birmingham hallmarks, including makers mark LV&W for Ledsam, Vale and Wheeler, this mark used between 1826 (when Wheeler joined Ledsam & Vale) and 1834. The blade also has 3 additional hallmarks, the first a shaped V, a Dutch duty mark for foreign silver used between 1814 -1831, so the knife entered the Netherlands shortly after it was made. The other 2 hallmarks are French, Minerva facing right (guarantee mark for foreign silver) and the Bigorne (beak-iron) mark with insect, used as a counter mark between 1819 and 1838, all these marks are clear. the book "Pocket ...

A rare Irish provincial sterling silver teaspoon made by Isaac Solomon of Cork, with excellent hallmarks. The teaspoon is Fiddle pattern, the bowl is elongated with a strong tip, more European than English in style. The spoon is engraved with original owners initials II. The hallmarks are excellent, "I.SOLOMON" and "STERLING" in serrated punch, these are well struck, but the sterling punch shows sign of wear. Solomon was born around 1775 and died in 1845, he worked from Patrick's Street, Cork. A number of items with makers mark IS have also been ascribed to Solomon, it is probable that these should be ascribed to John Seymour, and not Solomon. Solomon was a jeweller and silversmith, his working dates beyond 1810 are not known.

A rare Sampson Mordan silver hatching chick spoon, it has previously been described as a baby feeding spoon, but could also be a castor sugar spoon. The hatching chick will be familiar to Sampson Mordan collectors, it is often seen as a pincushion. The detail and quality are excellent, the chick has open mouth and open eyes, and a gilded interior. The chick has an Albany pattern handle, which was a popular pattern at the turn of the 20th century (also called Queen Anne pattern by Francis Higgins). We believe this is a rare item, we have not seen it described before in the literature. We have noted another similar example that appeared on auction, this one had greenstone eyes, and was described as a baby feeding spoon - but given the gilded interior, it could have been designed for spreading castor sugar - all thoughts welcome. The spoon has clear SM&Co makers mark (this mark used between 1903-1914 by Mordan), and worn but legible hallmarks for Chester 1906 (date letter clear). The spoon also has a clear desig...

An interesting antique Indian silver spoon, beautifully decorated with highly intricate designs, hence our attribution tp the Kutch region. The spoon is a pleasure to hold, soup spoon in size but could also be used as a small serving spoon. The handle is hollow, the dome shaped finial, with pierced sides, was made as a separate piece. The repousse decoration is very fine, clearly made by a master craftsman, it features scrolls, pillars and leaves, the finail has gadrooning as well. The bowl is also lovely, scrolls linking to handle, and a triangle and circle design around the rim. Of particular interest is that this spoon is hallmarked with maker mark DAC, on the front of the bowl rim, and another indistinguishable mark in the same place on the other side of the bowl, very easy to miss amongst the decoration. We would welcome assistance with the identification of this maker.

A National Rifle Association 1860 Silver trophy medallion, which would have been awarded as a rifle shooting trophy. The obverse has 2 soldiers, the first a British longbow man with dates 1300-1500, the second a rifleman dated 1860, above motto "Sit Perpetuum" - translated "May it last forever". The reverse has a laurel wreath surrounding "The National Rifle Association 1860". The medallion is excellent quality, and in excellent condition, without any engraving, so perhaps it was never presented. The hallmarks are clear, and include makers mark E&Co for Elkington, who are known for their superb quality. The National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom is a registered charity with a Royal Charter, whose charitable objectives are to promote and encourage marksmanship throughout the Queen’s dominions in the interest of defence and the permanence of the volunteer and auxiliary forces, naval, military and air. The formal purposes of the charity are to promote the efficiency of the armed forces of the Crown, ...

A rare Kenya Regiment sterling silver and marcasite sweetheart brooch, of fine quality depicting a charging Water Buffalo profusely set with marcasite stones with "Kenya Regiment" scroll below. The buffalo has a red stone eye, which is quite striking and catches the eye. The back is clearly hallmarked "Sterling" for sterling silver, and the pin has a roller safety catch. The Kenya Regiment was a British military unit recruited from white settlers in colonial Kenya and Uganda. It was formed in 1937 but temporarily disbanded at the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Re-established in 1950, it participated in the repression of the Mau Mau rebellion (1952–56) and was finally disbanded in May 1963 when Kenya became independent (source wikipedia). The singer Roger Whittaker served in this regiment. In his final paragraph of his book "The Charging Buffalo" - A History of the Kenya Regiment, Sir Guy Campbell writes: "I want to believe that when I leave this earth I will find in the hereafter a Branch of our Regiment...

A private die Scottish silver tablespoon, a rare spoon of fabulous quality, made by leading Glaswegian silversmiths Robert Gray & Sons. The spoon has a die stamped family crest of a stag above a knights helmet, this is beautifully struck. The spoon is a variant of Kings pattern, with hourglass shape and honeysuckle, but the shell on the front has been removed to make place for the family crest. The spoon is double struck, which is unusual for Scottish silver, and the spoon has no shoulders. The spoon is over 100 grammes, so a pleasure to hold and use. The hallmarks are clear, and are accompanied by a star, possibly a journeyman's mark. Private die flatware was individually commissioned with the family crest die-stamped rather than engraved on a stock pattern (Pickford, Silver Flatware, page 173). Most 19th century private die patterns were supplied through Hunt & Roskell to members of the peerage and other wealthy clients. Pickford describes these as "fascinating, but obviously impossible to build into servic...

A Rare Set of 6 Liberty & Co. Japanese Sterling Silver Gilded Octopus Teaspoons, made by Sadajiro of Musashiya (Yokohama), these were amongst the first silver items imported by Arthur Lasenby Liberty for his Liberty Arts & Crafts Department store. The spoons have octopi finials, bamboo cane handles, and ormer (abalone) shell bowls, what is remarkable is that each octopus is different. The octopi have been described as "comical, scratching their heads or frowning, adding a wonderful touch of humour" - Simon Moore, Artists Spoons, page 50. The spoons are beautifully gilded, and retain much of the original gilding, their is slight wear on the handles from use. This gilding of the entire spoon is unusual, we have seen other sets without gilding and one set with gilded bowls only. The spoons are well preserved in their original wooden Liberty & Co. box, with green plush velvet interior and green leather exterior with the Liberty logo stamped in gilt lettering, it reads "Liberty & Co. Ltd. Jewellers 218a Regent St....

A Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) Football Club sterling silver dish, celebrating the greatest event in the club's history, the winning of "The Double", the Football League and the F.A. Cup Final in the 1960-1961 season. The dish is circular with raised sides which are fluted or scalloped, with engraved crest of the cockerel with spurs standing on a football, above "T.H.F.C.", centrally positioned between the 4 hallmarks. The dish is small, but would be perfect for sweets or nuts. The hallmarks form part of the design, these include Birmingham anchor, Sterling silver lion passant, date letter N for 1962 and makers mark PP Ltd for Poston Products, who worked between 1951 and 1972. Spurs was founded in 1882, the first won the FA cup in 1901. They became the first club in the 20th century to achieve the League and FA Cup Double in 1960-1961, and collected at least one major trophy in each of the six decades from the 1950s to 2000s – an achievement only matched by Manchester United. The 1960-1961 team was captained b...

A Royal South African Air Force gold sweetheart brooch, dating from World War II. The brooch features the crest of the old Union of South Africa, with 4 quarters for the four provinces, an ox wagon representing Transvaal Province, a woman with an anchor representing Cape Province, two wildebeests representing Natal Province and an orange tree representing the Orange Free State Province. This is surrounded by a laurel wreath, under the Royal crown of King George VI, between the traditional pilots feathered wings. This badge is incorporated into a bar brooch (not added as is usual for sweetheart brooches), the hinge, clasp and pin are also gold. The brooch also has a suspension loop attached to a fine gold chain and gold safety pin, all in perfect condition, this was a good quality brooch when it was made. The brooch is clearly hallmarked 9CT for nine carat gold. The Royal South African Air Force provided 35 squadrons during World War II, mostly in North Africa and Italy, with 18000 staff deployed.

A Chinese Export silver dessertspoon in the Fiddle pattern, with very clear pseudo hallmarks. The spoon has original engraved initials (now worn), and has been well used. The hallmarks include pseudo lion passant, pseudo crowned leopard's head town mark, makers mark YS and pseudo duty mark, these marks are very clearly struck, but show wear to the punches from prolonged use. The website www.chineseexportsilver.com also notes that "Yatshing silver is always of a high standard", and the book "Chinese Export Silver describes Yatshing as "quite prolific".

A Chinese export silver tablefork in the Fiddle pattern, made by one of the most prolific Chinese Export silversmiths, Wongshing. The fork has engraved initials CE in Old English font (this is well done) on the back of the fork, so dating back to a period when forks were placed tines down on a table. The fork has very clear and detailed pseudo hallmarks, clearly struck by punches without wear, so this fork was probably made early in Wongshing's career. The marks include pseudo Georgian duty mark (note collar and long flowing hair), pseudo crowned leopards head townmark (nose and eyes visible, crown detail too), makers mark W and pseudo lion passant (round eyes and nose, fat rump). The punch outlines are clear as well, 2 are cambered (domed top), one loboid, and one rectangular (Poole, Identifying Antique British Silver, page 14). These are amongst the clearest Chinese Export silver hallmarks we have seen, and deserve further study. Wongshing is known as one of the most prolific Chines Export silversmiths, mak...

A delightful pair of sterling silver rat-tail trefid spoons, coffee spoon size, these spoons were Christmas presents from the Grand Pump Room Hotel in Bath in 1923. The spoons are engraved with the hotel armorial, the stems engraved "Grand Pump Room Hotel, Bath", and the bowls engraved "Xmas 1923". The rat-tails are ribbed, these are perfect replicas of 17th century trefid spoons. The hallmarks are clear on both spoons. "The Grand Pump Room is a historic building in the Abbey Church Yard, Bath, Somerset, England. It is adjacent to the Roman Baths and is named for water that is pumped into the room from the baths' hot springs. Visitors can drink the water or have other refreshments while there. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building since 1950. The building now also houses a restaurant, where afternoon tea can be taken. Music in the restaurant is provided by the Pump Room Trio — the longest established resident ensemble in Europe — or by a pianist. There has been music in the Pump Room since ...

An interesting sterling silver trophy medallion, shaped in the shape of a Zulu shield, presented annually for a shooting competition between the towns of Pietermaritzburg and Durban of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. the medallion has 2 crossed rifles behind a smaller Zulu shield, surrounded by palm fronds with a decorative border, above latin motto and town name scrolls. The shield reads "Inter-Town Shooting presented 1892 for Annual Competition, Mayor of Maritzburg R. Mason Esq, Mayor of Durban B.W. Greenacre Esq", the scrolls have town names "Maritzburg Durban" either side, and the motto reads "Palman Qiu Meruit Ferat", translated "let whoever earns the palm bear it". The medallion has suspension rings so it can be worn as a pendant. The medallion is clearly hallmarked with South African sterling silver hallmarks, STG, SABS standard mark, date letter Gothic M for 1960, and makers mark of Dick King riding a horse for Norman Watson of Durban, South Africa. Watson worked in the 1960's and 1970's. We assume this ...

A antique silver cigarette case, presented to a South African World War I soldier who won the Military Medal for bravery displayed at Menin Road. The inscription reads "Pte. J.J. Cronje, M.M. 4 SAI, From the Ladies of the Riversdale Red + Soc:, In Appreciation of Bravery Displayed at Menin Road, June 10th 1919". Private Cronje was part of the 4th South African Infantry Regiment, part of the larger South African Brigade, best remembered for their role in the Battle of Delville Wood in 1916, but with battle honours for Egypt, Somme, Delville Wood, Arras, Ypres, Menin Road, Cambrai, Mons and Flanders. The 4th SAI was known as the "South African Scottish", as it was raised from the Cape Town Highlanders and Transvaal Scottish Regiments, with additional recruits from Caledonian societies. Riversdale is a small farming town in the Western Cape province, en route between Cape Town and the Garden Route. We assume for the inscription it was Cronje's home town, and that the ladies of the local Red Cross Society arrange...