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.

A Cape Silver lemoen lepel, (orange spoon), in 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 spoon has a slight copper tinge, this is exaggerated in the photographs. 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 S 1923.

A Cape silver konfyt (preserve) fork in the Old English pattern, with 4 tines. The fork is good quality and is in excellent condition, with clear hallmarks. The fork has original owners engraved initials CB. The hallmarks consist of makers mark IC in between 2 castle devices (Welz mark 35, Cape Silver and Silversmiths). 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 pair of Cape silver sugar tongs, in the Fiddle pattern, made by John Townsend. The tongs are plain, with no engraving, and are in excellent condition. The Cape silver pseudo hallmarks are very clear, makers mark JT with indent at the top of the punch, pseudo duty mark, pseudo lion passant, pseudo date letter a and the tree mark, all struck individually, this is makers mark 123 in Welz (Cape Silver and Silversmiths), but in a different orientation (all at 90 degrees). John Townsend (1800-1875) was an interesting character, described by Heller as one of the top 5 Cape silversmiths. He arrived in the Cape in 1821 on the ship Duke of Marlboro, and was involved in a number of businesses, including a hotel and auctioneering business, in addition to being goldsmith, silversmith, jeweller and watchmaker. He was embroiled in a number of court cases, mostly due to bad debt, in 1849 he stated "insufficient means to support his 10 children". He moved to Okiep in Namaqualand in 1852 as Manager of Spektakel Copper Mine, ...

An interesting pair of Cape silver dessertspoons, engraved with an original family crest of winged castle turret below circular cross. The spoons are Fiddle pattern, and are very pleasing quality and weight. The hallmarks are also very clear on both spoons, pseudo duty mark, pseudo castle town mark with flag flying, pseudo date letter C and makers mark LT (mark 140 in Cape Silver and Silversmiths by Welz). What makes these spoons interesting is the different sized makers mark, one has the usual larger size LT punch, the other has a much smaller LT punch, we assume intended for hallmarking smaller items. Twentyman was the most prolific of all Cape silversmiths, he had the first shop on Heerengracht (now Adderley Street) with a shop window. He worked between 1818 and 1832. Note - These spoons match the pair of tablespoons S11352. Note 2 - With the assistance of a customer, we have now identified the engraved crest as the Heathcote family, described as "On a mural crown, a sphere charged with a cross, between tw...

A pair of lovely steam train sterling silver spoons, depicting the Rovos Rail steam train and wagons of Southern Africa. The spoons have good detail, and show steam train, caol wagon, water wagon and passenger compartment. The passenger wagon has engraved initials RVR for Rovos Rail (see www.rovos.com), the spoons have teaspoon sixed bowls but the handles are longer. The handles are cast silver and pierced. Both spoons are hallmarked with makers mark "C.M" for Cape Mint, and also "SIL" for sterling silver. We assume the spoons were made to commemorate the opening of Rovos Rail in 1986. Rovos Rail is a luxury rail service operating in Southern Africa, the Pride of Africa has been described as the "most luxurious train in the world".

A rare Cape silver table fork in the Fiddle and Shell pattern, examples are known to exist but these are regarded as rare. The fork is single struck (pattern only on the front), the shell is a lovely feature. A similar example is depicted the book "Further Researches in Cape Silver" by David Heller, page 68, plate 13, also made by Lawrence Twentyman. English versions of this pattern are also scarce, mostly made in Scotland and Newcastle, London versions are rare (Pickford, Silver Flatware, page 114). The hallmarks are clear, makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (crowned leopard's head town mark, date letter a, duty mark and lion passant), this is mark 135 in Cape Silver by Welz. Note: We have 2 other examples of this fork, S 11436 and S 11437.

An extremely rare Cape silver konfyt (preserve) fork with tubular handle, by Cape silversmith Lodewyk Beck. The fork has 4 tines, the only decoration is the baluster shape where the tines join the handle. The handle is similar to the Cannon handle pattern of early English flatware. The fork is clearly hallmarked with makers mark LB at the end of the handle. Similar forks are illustrated in Heller's History of Cape Silver (Vol 2, pg. 82) by Johannes Heegers, and Welz's Cape Silver (pg. 68), these are by Johannes Combrink. Lodewyk Beck worked firstly from Shortmarket Street and then moved to Greenmarket Square, still today a vibrant market in the heart of Cape Town. Konfyt forks were made and sold as individual items, and are described by Welz as "having a great deal of charm" (pg. 65, Cape Silver, Welz). Note - We have a matching fork S11421.

An extremely rare Cape silver konfyt (preserve) fork with tubular handle, by Cape silversmith Lodewyk Beck. The fork has 4 tines, the only decoration is the baluster shape where the tines join the handle. The handle is similar to the Cannon handle pattern of early English flatware. The fork is clearly hallmarked with makers mark LB at the end of the handle. Similar forks are illustrated in Heller's History of Cape Silver (Vol 2, pg. 82) by Johannes Heegers, and Welz's Cape Silver (pg. 68), these are by Johannes Combrink. Lodewyk Beck worked firstly from Shortmarket Street and then moved to Greenmarket Square, still today a vibrant market in the heart of Cape Town. Konfyt forks were made and sold as individual items, and are described by Welz as "having a great deal of charm" (pg. 65, Cape Silver, Welz). Note - We have a matching fork S11422.

A rare Cape silver condiment ladle, this is only the 2nd one we have encountered. The ladle is Fiddle pattern, similar in shape to a salt spoon, but with a long elegant handle, 3 to 4 cm longer than a salt spoon, the bowl is also more angled, and the handle has a very pronounced turn over for ease of use. The bowl is gilded, the original gilding is in quite good condition, a deep gold colour inside the bowl (note scratches from use), much more faded on the bowl exterior, but still visible. The ladle has 2 notches on the rear of the handle, where an extension was added to the more usual sized salt spoon, but we are confident this is original, as no solder marks are visible, so we imagine it was made on special order. The hallmarks are clear, makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (crowned leopards head, date letter a, duty mark and lion passant), this is mark 135 in Cape Silver by Welz. Note: We have sold a previous Cape silver condiment ladle, S11128, by Fredrik Waldek, who took over Twentyman's shop on the He...

A set of 5 Fiddle pattern Cape silver tableforks, made by Willem Lotter. The forks are quite long and elegant, with bevelled edges, quite attractive and pleasing quality. All 5 forks are struck with makers mark WGL in irregular punch between 2 oval devices (Welz mark 88). Welz depicts this mark as a face, we are not convinced, this requires further research. Willem Gotfried Lotter worked between 1810 and 1835, his father (also Willem Gotfried) was also a silversmith, they shared the same punches. Lotter died in Richmond, which was established as a spa town for sufferers of tuberculosis.

A Cape silver teaspoon in the Fiddle pattern, with excellent Cape silver hallmarks. The spoon is engraved C.V.N.O. Schultz 1862, we assume the original owner, this engraving is very crisp and clear. The hallmarks are excellent, and include makers mark JJV in an unusual 6 sided punch (Welz mark 161), pseudo sterling lion, and pseudo duty mark (Queen Victoria's head with good detail, and hair bun). Jacobus Vos worked from 127 Long Street, unfortunately he died young, age 27, unmarried, which is a pity as he produced good quality silver. Note: We have been informed that C.V.N.O. Schultz could possibly be Constand (Constant) Van Nuldt Onkruidt Schultz, who was born in Cape town 13/11/1824, son of Jacob Schultz and Catharina Fredrica Van Nuldt Onkruidt. He married Martinet (Martha) Maria van der Poel in Cape Town on 15/02/48. He died on 16/04/1863 in Stellenbosch, his death notice recorded him as "small farmer". The spoon is dated the year defore his death, so possibly it was anticipated and he had the spoon (s) m...

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.

A Cape silver tablefork in the Old English pattern, with 4 tines. The fork was made by Johannes Combrink who worked between 1814 and 1853. The hallmarks are well struck and clear, Welz mark 24, makers mark IC with canted corners and anchor hallmark.

A set of 6 Old English pattern Cape silver tablespoons, made by Johannes Combrink. All 6 spoons have engraved owners initials G, we assume the original owner. This set has been made by hand, there are slight differences in length, also differences in the shape of the handle, with some having narrower ends. One spoon also has a noticeably larger bowl than the other 5, so perhaps made at a different time. The drop on 2 spoons is also slightly longer, overall interesting but subtle differences between the spoons. The hallmarks also exhibit differences, three spoons are struck with makers mark IC three times, the other three are struck with makers mark IC four times (similar to the English duty dodgers). The orientation of the marks also differs, some are struck vertically and some sideways, so it appears the silversmith struck marks quite randomly. This mark is 29 or mark 30 in the book Cape Silver by Welz, the C is quite close the the I, and has short arms, almost looks like a K. The slightly larger spoon, whic...

A lovely pair of Cape silver konfyt (preserve) forks in the Fiddle pattern with 4 tines, the forks are in excellent condition and have no engraving. Both forks have clear hallmarks, makers mark W.M and the Cape Stub mark (see our articles section) consisting of 4 English pseudo hallmarks, Lion passant, date letter capital A, Georgian kings head duty mark and leopards head (town mark for London).This is mark 100 in the book Cape Silver by Welz, except the makers mark he depicts does not have the dot between the W and M, which shows Moore had at least 2 different punches. Konfyt forks are typically Cape, they were made and sold as individual items, and are described by Welz as "having a great deal of charm" (pg 65, Cape Silver, Welz). William Moore was a goldsmith and jeweller who worked between 1840 and 1863 from St Johns Street, Cape Town, Parliament is located on St Johns street so it was a prestigious location.

A lovely pair of Cape silver teaspoons in the Fiddle pattern, in excellent condition and with very clear hallmarks. The spoons are clearly hand made, you can see very slight differences in the shape and size of the Fiddle and bowl shape when comparing closely. The spoons are good quality and a good weight. The spoons have no engraving with no initials removed, completely original. Both spoons are clearly hallmarked with 4 pseudo hallmarks, all struck individually in the same order - pseudo duty mark, bird, pseudo Edinburgh Castle town mark and pseudo date letter B. This is mark 134 in the book "Cape Silver and Silversmiths" by Stephan Welz, without makers mark - but clearly Twentyman as he was the only Cape silversmith who used these punches. Twentyman was the most prolific of all Cape silversmiths, he had the first shop on Heerengracht (now Adderley Street) with a shop window. He worked between 1818 and 1837. We really like these spoons. Note - we have a matching set of 6 , S 11196.

A pair of Cape silver table forks in the Fiddle pattern, without any engraving. The forks are in excellent condition, they have not seen much use at all. Both forks are clearly hallmarked with makers mark LT and 4 pseudo hallmarks (lion passant, duty mark, date letter a and crowned leopard's head town mark), this is mark 135 in the book Cape Silver by Stephan Welz.

A Cape silver beaker, in the shape of half a wine barrel, with a Dutch silver Ducaton Silver Rider dated 1769 set in the base. The beaker has realistically modelled barrel staves, complete with arrow shaped ends with nail heads, and is later engraved with owners initials "JvR" on one side and the date "5th March 1865" on the other side. The barrel also has engraved half circle on rim, to show where 2 halves should be joined. No hallmarks are present. The Dutch silver rider Ducaton coin is a crown sized coin (32.8 grammes of .94 silver), the obverse features a mounted knight on horseback, above a crowned shield, (City of Utrecht) with the motto "MO: NO: ARG: CON: POE: BELG: PRO: TRAI:", translated "Coin of government of the federation of Belgium, Utrecht". The reverse has the crowned arms of Zeeland with supporters, with date 1769 in cartouche below, with motto "CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCUNT", translated "Concordance makes small things grow". The coin itself is in good condition, the base is protected by a rim...

A rare Cape silver marrow scoop, with 4 pseudo hallmarks and an unusual shaped stem. The marrow scoop is the usual shape, with a thinner and thicker scoop at either end, the stem has an unusual shape, slightly thicker in the centre, possibly to improve the grip. The scoop has 4 pseudo hallmarks, these are well struck but blurry, probably due to inferior or worn punches being used. They include pseudo date letter Gothic a, pseudo crowned leopards head town mark, pseudo duty mark with noticeable cusp to the right, and pseudo date letter B, also with cusps. No makers mark is present, and we have not seen this particular combination of marks together before. However, the only Cape silversmith who used these particular pseudo marks is Lawrence Twentyman, see Welz, Cape Silver & Silversmiths, page 155, marks 134 (capital B) and 135 (crowned leopards head, a and duty mark). In addition, a very similarly shaped Cape silver marrow scoop is depicted by Welz in the same book, page 77, centre, this example by Lawrence Tw...