Exquisite antique French watch, decorated with floral repousse and vermeil accent, lending the piece an enviable mixed metal charm. The watch face is also accented in gold,  More »

Exquisite antique French watch, decorated with floral repousse and vermeil accent, lending the piece an enviable mixed metal charm. The watch face is also accented in gold, with the most adorable filigreed gold 'hands'. The inside is marked "cylindre 10 rubies". The silver parts bear the crab silver guarantee ( it is not clear whether it is .800 parts or .950 parts) and the maker's punch. It fits perfectly into a lovely carved Black Forest watch holder, marked "Berne". The watch needs to be restored to working order; otherwise it is in fine condition, with a splendid patina that I wouldn't touch.   « Less

Simply gorgeous solid silver dessert knives is a neo-Renaissance pattern developed in 1845, executed here in late 1800's. The fluted and strapped handles are absolutely  More »

Simply gorgeous solid silver dessert knives is a neo-Renaissance pattern developed in 1845, executed here in late 1800's. The fluted and strapped handles are absolutely exquisite. There is a finely wrought cartouche on each side and there is NO monogram. Interestingly, the blades and handles bear the punches of two different silversmiths. The handles were made by Lapparra; but the mark is very unusual. The standard Lapparra 'L' with the mouse, but with a 'D' and a star above. I've never come across it before, but Lapparra seems to have worked with a variety of different silversmiths (Gabriel, Souche...) If anyone knows of it, I'd welcome a bit of this esoterica. The blades are marked G.B., another mark I cannot identify. Both blades and handles are stamped with the Minerve 2nd titre, indicating that the knife set is comprised of .800/1000 parts silver.   « Less

Terrific set of 6 silver salt cellars in Renaissance Style repousse, with partial gilt decoration. Resounding success: these pieces are just beautiful. Of course, I do love  More »

Terrific set of 6 silver salt cellars in Renaissance Style repousse, with partial gilt decoration. Resounding success: these pieces are just beautiful. Of course, I do love Renaissance Style silverware. Condition is good. Here are the flaws: 1 glass liner is missing. I do not know that I would even use the liners myself; properly cared for, the corrosive effects of the salt should be minimal, and I feel the liners do detract from the beauty of the salts. Nevertheless, there is one missing. Also, there is some stubborn tarnish in places (please see photos). I didn't want to polish too vigorously, as the patina is so lovely. There is no maker's mark. The silver specialists I've consulted with think the set is Viennese; but no guarantee of that. Each salt is marked 800 silver; so they are not sterling silver. Altogether, this is a rare and finely crafted set of salt cellars. Dimensions: the cellars are 1.5" tall, 2" at the widest, and each weighs 30 grams. The glass spoons are 2.5" long. The glass liners extend over the pearl edges of the cellars.   « Less

Exceptional silver ewer from the estate of the french Royal family. The ewer, made in Austria, bears the monogram 'MC' for Marie Clementine of Austria, surmounted by a crown.  More »

Exceptional silver ewer from the estate of the french Royal family. The ewer, made in Austria, bears the monogram 'MC' for Marie Clementine of Austria, surmounted by a crown. Marie Clementine, was Princess of Salerno, born in 1798, deceased 1881. She married Leopold de Bourbon-Siciles. Their child, Marie-Caroline married the Duc d'Aumale; he was the second son of Louis-Phillipe, the King of the French. The ewer remained in the family the time of Charon's Spoils' purchase. The ewer has simple elegant lines, nothing to distract from the magnificently wrought Griffin's head at the top of the handle, and the classic mascaron at the base of the handle. The ewer bears the silver guarantee for the city of Vienna, a rubbed maker's mark, and a French import guarantee. Condition is good to very good. Some minor signs of use; the circular foot has a slight malformation, there are some minor spots of discoloration. Arguably a museum quality piece, perfect for discriminating collector. Dimensions: 11" tall, 3.5" diameter and 5" long. Weight is 738 grams (26.05 oz.)   « Less

Boxed set of twelve antique French knives with glorious mother of pearl handles and silver ferrules and tips. The decoration of the ferrules and tips (almost certainly  More »

Boxed set of twelve antique French knives with glorious mother of pearl handles and silver ferrules and tips. The decoration of the ferrules and tips (almost certainly sterling, but I didn't test) is beautifully executed. There are scrolling acanthus leafs and rocailles all on a finely textured ground. The size is 8.25": for dessert or hors d'oeuvres if you are using the larger French flatware. Condition is good to excellent. One or two of the handles have hairline cracks, small. The blades appear to be original steel, and polished to remove most of the oxidation. So the best of both worlds: original blades, barely any oxidation.   « Less

We've been looking for a nice set of knife rests for some time. Hard to find lovely rests without monograms and decorative enough to accent a fine silver service. Here's the  More »

We've been looking for a nice set of knife rests for some time. Hard to find lovely rests without monograms and decorative enough to accent a fine silver service. Here's the first set. Beautiful banded shell motifs on both sides of these roomy rests. At 3.5" wide, there is plenty of room for more than one knife. Condition is excellent. No flaws to note. Not sure which country of origin, but the silver is 800/1000 parts. There is a country mark, I believe, so if anyone is familiar with it, we would love your help with this. There is also a maker's mark. Please see photos for all dimensions and marks.   « Less

Unusual and pristine set of 12 coffee spoons from the Napoleon III Era. The decoration is floral and integrates both guilloche textures and mixed metal design elements.  More »

Unusual and pristine set of 12 coffee spoons from the Napoleon III Era. The decoration is floral and integrates both guilloche textures and mixed metal design elements. Absolutely exquisite and likely never or very rarely used. The original rosewood box, ebonized and lined in a delicious rose silk has brass strips inlaid on top, the word Cafe painted in gilt on top and a charming carved border. The box does show some signs of use, yet I consider it's condition very good. Particularly the lining which is surprisingly intact with virtually no soil, no wear and no color loss. The set bears no monogram. Terrific gift, fine addition to your collection and priced to sell.   « Less

Photos do not capture the beautiful rust and black colors of the stone, nor the fine workmanship of beaded silver details of this broach, or pendant. The broach opens on the  More »

Photos do not capture the beautiful rust and black colors of the stone, nor the fine workmanship of beaded silver details of this broach, or pendant. The broach opens on the side. There are several hallmarks, hard to read, 151 in an eagle mark, and three letters, perhaps gjm, or similar, and part of Mexico. A stunning work of art. Dimensions: 3"(7.50cm) length 1 7/8"(4.50cm) width.   « Less

Obverse: Laureate Bust of Philetairos Facing Right. Reverse: Athena Seated Left, Resting her Arm on a Sheild, Bow to the Right, Crowning the Inscription,  More »

Obverse: Laureate Bust of Philetairos Facing Right. Reverse: Athena Seated Left, Resting her Arm on a Sheild, Bow to the Right, Crowning the Inscription, “Philetairos” Attalos I Soter, King of the Attalid Dynasty, founded by Philetairos, came to power in 241 B.C. and ruled the city/state of Pergamon until 197. He quickly led his troops to victory against the rival Gallic forces that inhabited the regions outside of Pergamon. After subdoing this threat, he turned his attention to the lands of the Seleucid Kingdom. After defeating his enemies to the east, with the assistance of his allies Rome, and expanding the territory of his kingdom, Attalos sought to solidify his rightful rule through the use of propagandistic art, much like Alexander the Great had done a century before. Victory monuments decorated the city of Pergamon as well as the major cities in the newly conquered territories. As well, monuments were erected in cities throughout the Mediterranean world, such as Delphi and Athens, solidifying his place as a triumphant king in the eyes of his citizens and across the Hellenic world. These monuments were unique in the way they depicted in the fallen enemy, dying in agony, alone. Nowhere were the forces of Attalos depicted. Up to this point, traditional victory monuments had represented the victorious force overcoming the weaker opposition. Instead, the Attalid monuments treated the dying enemy with dignity and respect while simultaneous forcing the viewers to put themselves in the shoes of the victorious army. Thus, all his subjects became victors and Attalos’ conquest were not just for his own glory, but for all of Pergamon, a city/state that under his authority would become one of the great centers of the Hellenic age. How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of who touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after us. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and place, whether currency in the age we live or an artifact of a long forgotten empire. This ancient coin is more than an artifact; it is a memorial to a lost kingdom passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation. - (C.554)   « Less

Obverse: Alexander in the Guise of Hercules. Reverse: Zeus Seated Holding an Eagles and Scepter How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or your purse? What eras  More »

Obverse: Alexander in the Guise of Hercules. Reverse: Zeus Seated Holding an Eagles and Scepter How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of who touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after us. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and place, whether currency in the age we live or an artifact of a long forgotten empire. Worth a month’s pay, a silver coin like this would have rewarded the bravery and fortitude of the officers serving under one of history’s most celebrated generals, Alexander the Great. Son to King Phillip II of Macedon, tutored in his youth by Aristotle, Alexander conquered one of the largest kingdoms the world has ever known. Marching from Egypt, through Asia Minor, and into the heart of central Asia, Alexander lead a swift and successful military campaign that defeated the potent Persians and stretched the edges of Hellenic civilization to new lands. While his vast empire dissolved after his death, the carefully cultivated legend of Alexander will continue to live on not only in our history books and museums, but also in artifacts like this coin: concrete remnants of ancient empires passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation. - (C.730)   « Less