1. Neo-classical tea service – £5000
This neo-classical silver tea service, above, combines the talents of two giants of the Regency era. The mark of Paul Storr (London 1803) appears to both the jug, stand and burner, while the covered sugar bowl and cream jug to the same Grecian revival design have marks for John Emes (also London 1803).
Weighing a total of 84oz, it sold at the top end of a £3000-5000 at Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh on March 9.
2. Victorian silver cigarette box – £2500
Victorian silver and enamel cigarette box – £2500 at Mellors & Kirk.
This Victorian silver and enamel cigarette box is decorated to the lid with a humorous scene from John Surtees’ Jorrocks, Jaunts and Jollities. It is titled Come Hup You Ugly Beast and is further engraved with a presentation inscription dated 1891.
Made by Johnson, Sons and Edmunds (London 1889), it shares the quality associated with the firm and is in good condition. At Mellors & Kirk in Nottingham on March 10 it sold at £2500 (estimate £1000-1500).
3. Georgian grant of Arms – £3300
Georgian grant of Arms document on vellum for Gilbert Blane – £3300 at Reeman Dansie.
This Georgian grant of Arms document on vellum was presented to the Scottish physician Gilbert Blane (1749-1834) after his creation as a baronet by The Prince Regent in 1812. The document lists Blane’s achievements as ‘Physician to The Prince Regent’ and the man in charge of the medical department of the British fleet during the American Wars of Independence.
Blane is credited with helping eradicate scurvy from the navy. He advocated the use of citrus juice as a preventative and introduced lemon juice as a daily addition to the naval diet in 1795.
The grant, in good original condition, is signed by the three Garter King of Arms with three seals present in painted japanned tin cases. At Reeman Dansie in Colchester on March 9, it sold at £3300 (estimate £500-800).
4. George III snuff box – £3100
This George III silver table snuff box by Phipps and Robinson, London 1814, is engraved to the cover with a plan of the battle of Talavera in the Peninsular War. It shows the position of the British, French and Spanish forces with the sides of the box engraved with a key to the plan.
The snuff box was expected to bring £500-800 at Duggleby Stephenson in York on February 25 but did rather better selling at £3100.
5. Promotional copy of ‘The Eagle’ – £410
Eight-page promotional copy of ‘The Eagle’ – £410 at Comic Book Auctions.
Before The Eagle No.1 was launched in April 1950, a mini promotional issue was given away in schools and churches up and down the country to enhance publicity. Unlike many copies of The Eagle (that reached a print run of over 900,000 in the 1950s), only a handful of copies of the promo are known to exist.
Numbering eight pages they lack the ‘Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future’ header that appeared on the first full issue of the comic.
In fine condition, this copy sold at £410 at the Comic Book Auctions sale that closed online on February 28.
6. Victorian table lighter – £2600
Victorian silver and antelope horn table lighter – £2600 at Kingham & Orme.
This silver and antelope horn table lighter with marks for William Graeme, London 1883 sold for £2600 (estimate £1200-1800) at Kingham & Orme on March 5.
The fire-breathing dragon is the best known of these popular novelty models but this one is realistically formed as a lizard with a tongue forming the wick.
