A 18½in (47cm) high leather blackjack tankard thought to be one of a dozen made from the hide of Oliver Cromwell’s warhorse – £7400 at Duke’s auction on February 25.
A 18½in (47cm) high leather blackjack tankard thought to be one of a dozen made from the hide of Oliver Cromwell’s warhorse sold for £7400 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) against an estimate of £4000-6000 at Duke’s auction on February 25.
The silver metal mounted rim bears an inscription Oliver Cromwell 1653 Lord Protector of England Scotland and Ireland.
The front of the vessel features a silver metal armorial, a variation of Cromwell’s arms, and the motto Pax Quaeritur Bello. The silver metal mounts may, however, represent a later antiquarian improvement.
It had been deposited at the bank C Hoare and Co in London and left there, then descended through the Hoare family, the vendors.
