A lovely pair of Victorian silver fish servers, beautifully decorated with an unusual sea horse design (actual horses with mermaid tails). The decoration is pierced and very finely engraved. The servers consist of a fish slice and serving fork in the Fiddle, Thread and Shell pattern. The set is good quality, and has a substantial feel when used. They have been beautifully preserved in their original felt and silk lined box, we get the impression they have never been used. The box itself is intact, with hinge and clasp in full working order, but the box is a little battered and worn, with remnants of an old label on the lid - acceptable given its 160 year age. The hallmarks are well struck and very clear on both items. John Stone was a well regarded Exeter silversmith who worked between 1825 and 1867, from 30 Bridge Street, Exeter, he produced many items of flatware. He registered his mark in London in 1844 (Culme, Directory of Gold and Silversmiths, pg 436), perhaps he wanted his finer items to have London ra...

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 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.

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.

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 magnificent Bacchanalian pattern silevr dessert spoon, with fluted bowl. This is one of the rarest English silver flatware patterns, it was originally produced by Paul Storr. The spoon shows Bacchus, the Roman God of wine, riding a lion, whilst a topless Diana looks on, with another figure asleep at her feet. The back of the spoon is also beautifully decorated, with a masque over a theatre curtain, and tilted amphora of wine. Bunches of grapes and vine leaves complete the decoration. The spoon is extremely good quality, quite heavy to hold, sturdy enough to use as a serving spoon, and the hallmarks are clear. Bacchanalian pattern is shown in "Silver Flatware" by Pickford (pg. 127), where an identical dessert service made by Wakely and Wheeler is depicted. The pattern was originally designed by Thomas Stothard, the famous painter and designer, for Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, the Royal silversmiths, in 1812, the first service was used by King George III. The other rare patterns in the same series include Boar...

A gorgeous Tiffany silver card case, with a very attractive and unusual fan shaped textured pattern, with dark and light bands radiating from the clasp. The surface is also textured, with lines and tiny hand hammered bumps radiating out in the same pattern. The hinge is spring loaded, and the clasp is a joy, superbly crafted with a satisfying click on closure. The interior is highly polished, giving a mirror like effect. The case is exceptional quality, clearly the work of a master craftsman. The original purpose of the case is unclear, it is too small for cigarettes (although it could hold the smaller hand made variety), it could also have been a compact. It is ideal for business cards, and could also accommodate photographs. The hallmarks are clear, "Tiffany & Co, 925 Sterling Italy", made during a time when Tiffany employed Italian craftsmen. With its wonderful quality, texture and pattern, this case is a joy to handle, you become reluctant to put it down!

A magnificent Hanau silver serving spoon, commemorating the 100 year anniversary of Frederick the Great (Frederick II of Prussia), whose nickname was "Der Alte Fritz" (Old Fritz). The handle of the spoon is a very detailed full length cast figure, with detail on both the back and front. Frederick is standing on a plinth with the dates "1740-1786", the dates he reigned, on top of the Imperial Prussian Eagle and Crown. The spoon bowl (also cast) is heart shaped, with decorative flowers and foliage. The spoon is excellent quality, suitable for display or use. Frederick, also Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, modernised the Prussian army and won military acclaim, so much so that even Napoleon regarded him as one of the greatest tactical geniuses of his time. J.D. Schleissner & Sohne were Hanau's "pre-eminant producer of antique style silverware in the latter 19th century (www.925-1000.com), they exhibited at the 1893 Chicago and 1904 St Louis international expositions. The hallmarks are clear, and inclu...

An Arts and Crafts Swedish silver sugar bowl with lid, with circular hand hammered body on a raised circular foot, the lid with a ring finial. It is a simple but beautiful design, and is a very good weight and excellent quality. The hallmarks are very clear, having been protected by the raised foot. They include the Swedish State mark (3 crowns) and 830 silver standard (S in hexagon), Goteborg city mark (crowned G), date letter for 1962 (M9) and sponsors mark for Thore Eldh (SFS). Thore Eldh was a highly regarded Swedish designer who worked between 1935 and 1967. In addition to the hallmarks, the bowl is stamped "Cecilia" in script form, we assume a pattern name.

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.

An important Royal silver brandy saucepan, which was given by Queen Victoria to her grandson Prince Christian Victor (Christle) of Schleswig-Holstein in 1868 as a christening present. The quality of the saucepan is excellent, it is the usual bulbous shape with a spout and turned ivory handle. It has a detachable domed lid, with a hinged projection for covering the spout, and an ivory and silver finial. The interior is gilt, it sits on a raised foot and has the traditional heart shaped join between body and handle. The saucepan and lid are both decorated with scrolling foliage and flowers, which is beautifully engraved. The lid fits snugly, the hinge is excellent, and the handle and finial are firmly secure. The saucepan is engraved "From his Grandmama Victoria R, 14 April 1868" on the front, the back has a scrolling foliate cartouche with the engraved initials "CV" below a coronet. The hallmarks are very clear, and are accompanied by the number 113 struck into the base (perhaps a pattern number?). The base al...

A magnificent silver cigarette case, of exceptional quality, one of the finest we have seen. It is rectangular, and decorated with very finely engraved scrolling foliage on a stippled background, which is most attractive. The case has a gilt interior, and the original elastic bands. The case has a circular cartouche, decorated with the Hayes family crest, an attractive lion holding a standard with the motto "Renovate Animos", translated "Renew your Courage". The original owners name, "William Andrew Hayes" is engraved underneath the crest. The hallmarks are very clear, even the clasp knob is hallmarked, a sign of quality. Deakin & Francis, who still exist today after being founded in 1786, are known for their high quality small silverware.

An antique Essex crystal brooch, set in an attractive 18 carat gold setting with rope border. The brooch contains the burgee (yacht club pennant) of the Royal London Yacht Club, with the London crest under a crown. The brooch is of extremely good quality, and is in immaculate condition. The crystal is convex, polished into a cabochon, the image itself is carved and hand painted, and the viewer is given a 3 dimensional view. The Royal London Yacht Club was founded in 1838, and is now based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The hallmarks are very clear, and include the crown and "18" indicating 18 carat gold, Chester wheatsheaf town mark, date letter gothic "S" for 1881, and makers mark R.N. for Richard Nevill, who was a manufacturing jeweller based in Birmingham (Chester Gold and Silver Marks, Ridgway and Priestley, pg 360), they worked between 1880 and 1917. The rim has additional 18 ct hallmarks, and the gold pin is also hallmarked.

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.

An extremely rare Cape silver knife, with ivory handle and engraved on the blade "EHM from HOM". The hallmarks are extremely clear, pseudo - English duty mark and castle, with makers mark JML (mark 82 in Welz, Cape Silver). These are accompanied by another mark, some sort of device, unrecorded in Welz. The knife is very well made, good quality and a pleasing weight. The ivory handle shows good texture and a changing colour from dark to light. The knife is extremely rare, being the only known example recorded to date. The leading authority on Cape Silver Stephan Welz said "I have been unable to trace any Cape silver knives" (Cape Silver pg 73), and David Heller said "the only type of silver knife in use at the Cape seems to have been the butter knife (History of Cape Silver, pg 202). Johannes Lotter was part of the highly regarded Lotter family of Cape silversmiths, being the son of Willem and the brother of Carel.

A miniature Continental silver teapot, with a magnificent birds head spout, with lovely detail. The teapot is oval shaped, and is decorated with an attractive band of vertical leaves, with a similar pattern repeated on the lid. The lid is domed and has a ball finial. the handle is dark composite, securely attached with brass pins. The teapot is a pleasing weight and is very good quality, clearly the work of a master craftsman. The makers mark ZV is distinct and clear, this is accompanied by another partially struck mark, a shield with 3 vertical staves under a band, with dots above (a crown?). We have not identified either mark, assistance most welcome! Note - This teapot is very similar to a normal sized teapot by Johann Diedrich Laue, Hamburg circa 1815, lot 1052 in the Woolley & Wallis sale, October 2010, which has a similar shape and acanthus leaf border.

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 Russian silver Fiddle pattern tablespoon, with very clear hallmarks, including town mark for Tallinn (now Estonia). The town mark is a shield containing 3 lions, and was used between 1842 and 1920 (Watts, Russian Silversmiths Hallmarks). The assay masters mark is very clear (YaN), the mark is recorded by Watts but unknown (pg 89). The makers mark CRH for Carl Reinhold Hefftler is very clear (we previously had this incorrectly identified as Rubert Hermann). The spoon has scripted initials "G et WP" on the front, and "H&TJ" on the back next to the hallmarks.

A set of 3 Fiddle pattern Cape silver tablespoons, which are notable for their strong colonial feel, being slightly crude in nature, and with hand hammered stems. Each spoon is slightly different, clearly each spoon was made by hand, probably in primitive conditions. The drops are also crude, and have an amateurish feel, perhaps these were made by a novice apprentice? All 3 spoons have pseudo hallmarks, date letter a, date letter B and duty head, with no makers mark. The shape of the outline of date letter B is notched on both sides, making it very distinctive - hence our attribution to Peter Clarke Daniel (mark 41, Cape Silver by Welz). Mark 41 has the 2 date letters (a and B) together, with the duty mark - given the outline and occurrance we are pretty certain the same punches were used, but perhaps not by Peter Daniel himself. Further research is required, as we know Cape silversmiths occasionally interchanged punches amongst one another.