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| Rare Victorian Silver Triple Compartment Stamp Box - Grey & Co, Thornhill
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Reference: S11222
Period: Victorian
Year: 1897
Silversmith: Grey & Co.
Place: Birmingham
Price: $ 1 850.00
Weight: 123 grams
Dimensions: 8 cm diameter, 4.8 cm height
Condition: Very good, all 3 spring lids in perfect working order, with very snug closure. Original stamps and wax backing perfect, as is the hardstone. One scroll leg has solder at top so has been re-attached in the past. Note see description.
Description: An extremely rare Victorian silver triple compartment stamp box, retailed by Thornhill of Bond Street. The box is a circular dish shape, with three triangular sprung lids, the design is ingenious. The lids have heart shaped plastic covered stamp covers, with original half penny, one penny and two and a half d stamps, these stamps are the 1887 Jubilee issue, securely held in place from behind with red wax seals. The centre has a triangular polished green hardstone which anchors the 3 hinges. Three silver wire work scrolls decorate the top between the lids, these match the 3 wire work scroll feet. Each lid has a shaped thumb piece for easy opening. The 3 interior compartments are gilded. The quality and feel of this stamp box is excellent, one of the best we have encountered. The base is engraved "W Thornhill & Co. Ltd. 144 New Bond St W.", Thornhill was the retailer. The base is clearly hallmarked, as is each of the 3 lids, the interior gilded compartment is also hallmarked - the makers mark Gy&Co appears 5 times on this box. Walter Thornhill & Company was a prestigious retailer who specialised in luxury silver, they held numerous Royal warrants (including to Queen Victoria, a chatelaine supplied to Queen Victoria by Thornhill can be seen on the Royal Collection Trust website). They won prize medals at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the International Exposition of 1855 in Paris, the International Exhibition of 1862 and then multiple medals at the International Exposition of 1878 in Paris. They were established in 1734 and traded until 1912, see their Christmas list advertisement of 1883. Grey & Co (1876-1936) were noted for their silver novelties, in addition to supplying Thornhill they also supplied Asprey (Culme, Gold & Silversmiths, page 196). Note: - A very similar stamp box, same shape and design, also by Grey & Co and retailed by Thornhill, can be seen on the Steppes Hill Farm website (www.steppeshillfarmantiques.com, a site we really recommend). This box is dated London 1904, so 7 years later, an urn finial has replaced the green hardstone, and the stamp apertures are rectangular rather than heart shaped, they describe this box as "extremely rare". Note - additional condition information - Another scroll leg has a break which does not impact. One lid scroll has been re-attached. Note 2 - Steppes Hill Farm Antiques has just added another example (July 2021), this one dated 1899, with urn finial rather than hardstone, and with heart shaped apertures. They also note a similar example in "The Blue-Eyes" Collection of Frank Sinatra, sold by Spinks, London, July 2009, lot 17.
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Rare Victorian Silver Triple Compartment Stamp Box - Grey & Co, Thornhill
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Walter Thornhill advert
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Thornhill Christmas list 1883
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Victorian Silver Triple Compartment Stamp Box
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Thornhill silver triple stamp box, lids open, wax hearts
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Silver Triple Compartment Stamp Box - Grey & Co, Thornhill base
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Antique Triple Compartment Stamp Box
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Grey & Co birmingham 1897 silver hallmarks
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Heart shaped silver stamp box
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W Thornhill & Co Ltd 144 New Bond St W
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Grey & Co birmingham 1897 silver hallmarks
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Silver scroll leg with repaired break
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Thornhill silver triple stamp box scale
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