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Tag Archives: Victorian
We saw high prices in our Monies, Medals & Militaria auction on Thursday 25th April for coins of many denominations and origins, most notably a Victorian AV sovereign 1841.
Star Lot: Victorian AV sovereign 1841
The star lot from our April auction was a Victorian AV sovereign 1841.
Weighing just under 8g and measuring about 2cm, this small coin was worth way more than its weight in gold. The coin, which was struck in 1841, is one of the rarest sovereigns around due to the limited mintage that year. It was not in the best of condition. Our team graded it as Very Fine. This means that it has considerable wear visible when you look at it.
As a result of its condition, we entered it for sale at auction with an estimate of £2,000 – £3,000. The wear on it did not seem to deter collectors. It went on to achieve a hammer price of over £10,000 following intense online bidding from 4 parties. The final price realised of £13,650 (including fees) was an excellent result for the auction house’s 2nd Monies, Medals & Militaria auction.
Lot 27
United Kingdom. Victoria AV Sovereign. 1841.
Price Realised: £13,650.00
Is Birmingham Becoming a Numismatics Hub?
The story of the sovereign is a truly Brummie affair. It was consigned at our Jewellery Quarter head office by a local vendor and then sold to a local collector.
Also in the auction, a set of George VI specimen coins in near mint state went on to achieve a realised price of £11,180 (including fees) from an estimate of £5,000 – £7,000. This lot of coins in their original presentation box from 1937 included 4 coins: a 5 pound; a 2 pound; a sovereign; and a half-sovereign.
From across the pond, an early American dime from 1796 realised a price of £5,655 (including fees). Gilbert Stuart designed the coin in the early 18th century with the engraver Robert Scot working on these rare coins. The design featured a draped bust of Liberty with the word LIBERTY and the date 1796 below. It showed 15 stars around the phrase UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, depicting the synonymous American eagle with spread wings. We graded the dime as Near Extremely Fine condition which is a very good coin grading. The dime is considered extremely rare in the world of numismatics for a couple of reasons. 1796 was the first year this denomination was minted and was one of only 22,135 produced. For these reasons, and its condition, we consider it to be numismatically significant.
Hammer Highlights
Lot 40
United Kingdom, George VI AV Specimen set.
Price Realised: £11,180.00
Lot 143
United States of America AR 1 Dime.
Price Realised: £5,655.00
Victorian AV Sovereign 1841: What The Expert Said
Numismatics specialist Sally Oliver said “It was such a privilege to be able to handle an 1841 sovereign. It is one of the rarest dates of this coin type. We were delighted when it came in and thought it might make a good price but the hammer of over £10,000 is an excellent result for our vendor. It’s up there with one of the greatest prices this type of coin has ever made at auction”.
Sally Oliver | MA (Hons), RNS
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Posted in Monies, Medals & Militaria
Tagged auctioneers, auctions, Birmingham, Fellows, fellowsauctioneers, sovereign, Victorian, Victorian Sovereign
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A Victorian locket pendant linked to the Tichborne case in the 19th century is set to sell in our upcoming sale.
The locket has an inscription for Sir James Francis Doughty Tichborne, 10th Baronet (3 October 1784 – 11 June 1862). Sir James was the father of Roger, who was involved in the famous case.
With an estimate of £400 – £600, it features as Lot 635 in our Jewellery sale on 27th October.
The Tichborne Case
The Tichborne case involved an individual known as Thomas Castro who claimed to be the missing heir to the Tichborne baronetcy in the 1860s. As a result, extensive background checks and a thorough court case took place to discover the heir to the family’s fortune. Subsequently, Castro failed in his attempts to convince the court and he was convicted for perjury.
The missing heir was the son of the individual inscribed on the locket.
The Locket & the Auction
The 18ct gold pendant locket sports a blue enamel cross. Despite containing general moderate marks and wear, it is in an overall good condition for its age.
With a length of 3.7cms and weighing 11.8gms, the locket is a highlight in our October auction. Moreover, included amongst over 1,200 lots of jewellery, free shipping is included.
Lindsay Beardmore, Jewellery Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers, said: “It was fascinating to discover that this locket has a connection to such an historic and famous case. The item is in a good condition for its age, and it is a highlight in next week’s jewellery auction.
“I expect to see a lot of interest in the locket at auction. Bids can be placed on the item now and we will be hosting viewing days in Birmingham leading up to the sale.”
Valuations
Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction.
The process is simple, so you can get a valuation now:
Fill in a form online. In addition, you can book an appointment to visit our offices in Birmingham and London. Moreover you can book a virtual valuation appointment.
A Victorian brooch from the family of J.G. Farrell is going under the hammer at Fellows. The item has been in the Farrell family for nearly 100 years, and it first belonged to the Booker Prize winning author’s parents. We are delighted to offer the jewellery in the July Fine Jewellery sale.
The Farrell Family
William Farrell gifted his wife, Josephine, with the diamond brooch after their marriage in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), in 1930.
The couple returned to the UK a few years after the jewellery was presented to Josephine in Myanmar (formerly Burma).
Josephine Farrell gave birth to J.G. Farrell in 1935. After the family moved to Dublin in the 1940s, J.G. went on to publish many acclaimed books, including Troubles and The Singapore Grip.
He won the 1973 Booker Prize for The Siege of Krishnapur, a book highlighting the siege of a fictional town during the Indian Rebellion in the 1850s.
The novelist sadly drowned whilst angling in Ireland in 1979.
This remarkable item belonging to Josephine was passed down to her daughter-in-law, Rosalind, who has now brought it to Fellows.
Alex Duffy, Jewellery Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers, said: “One of the pleasures of being in this business is to learn about how a piece of jewellery has impacted upon a family history and the surrounding stories that create provenance.
“Farrell’s Booker-Prize-winning novel is based in a fictional town in India and learning that his parents spent time across Asia and particularly in India, undoubtedly influenced the inception of the book. To be able to hold this brooch that connects all those stories is a wonderful thing.”
The Brooch
The late Victorian silver and gold, cat’s-eye chrysoberyl and old-cut diamond piece of jewellery has been unworn since 1999.
Featuring as Lot 368 in our July Fine Jewellery sale, the brooch has an estimate of £700 – £900.
The elegant brooch has an estimated total diamond weight of 1.30cts, and it is in an overall good condition.
We are offering free shipping on the purchase of the jewellery, which can be viewed on selected dates. Moreover, the catalogue listing contains a detailed condition report.
Customers can book to attend the auction in person and bid using multiple channels.
Spread amongst 538 lots, there is over £1.2 million worth of jewellery in the sale. The Fine Jewellery sale will take place on Thursday 29th July.
Valuations
Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction.
To get a valuation:
Fill in a form online.
Book an appointment to visit our offices in Birmingham and London.
Book a virtual valuation appointment.
Marina Vieira, Junior Jewellery Specialist from Fellows’ London office, has been discussing her favourite items from the Jewellery Sale on March 26th:
The snake or serpent is without a doubt one of the most beloved symbols used in jewellery from all different époques and cultures. Although the reptile might have been so widely used partly due to its rope-like form easily lending to almost unlimited possibilities when used to contour the body in the shape of rings, necklaces or bracelets, the imagery and connotations it provokes are as vast as they are often contradictory.
Aside the Judeo-Christian iconology that the serpent is often and more commonly associated with in popular culture, we have evidence as ancient as those of the Egyptian pharaohs using snake pendants around their necks to represent their royalty. In ancient Greece, the snake stood as a symbol of wisdom and medicine, the latter which can be seen today as medical professions are still associated with the image of the Caduceus, which represents one or two snakes wrapped around a staff.
Lot 174 from Fellows’ March 26th Jewellery Sale
Although it might be the image of Cleopatra which comes to mind as we conjure up the fashionable woman with a special love for adorning herself with these slithering creatures, it is really Queen Victoria who is responsible for the more modern iterations of this recurring image in jewellery. It is said, that when she was given an emerald-set ring in the shape of a continuous snake as an engagement ring from Prince Albert, this set a trend throughout Europe that can still be seen in jewellery today. As a result, the Victorian era shaped the way we perceive snake and serpent jewellery as more of a symbol of eternal love and desire today. It is with the intention of honouring this tradition that Fellows’ March Jewellery Sale offered a variety of snake inspired jewellery ranging from Victorian era examples such as Lot 174, which sold for a hammer price of £820, to more modern and abstracted styles such as Lot 499, which sold for £340.
Posted in All, Jewellery
Tagged highlights, london, march, snakejewellery, Victorian
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Fellows’ upcoming Antique & Modern Jewellery sale features a flash of history, with an abundance of beautiful Victorian pieces.
The sale is the perfect opportunity to purchase some stylish jewellery to complement your spring attire. The auction features a fantastic range of Victorian jewellery, with a diverse selection of designs that are beautiful to the eye. Historic pieces range from brooches, necklaces, and collars. A stunning mid-Victorian gold collar is a highlight, as well as a dragon brooch, and numerous garnet set Victorian brooches – which are very typical of the period. Examples of some stunning Victorian pieces in the sale can be seen below.
Lot 19 is an early to mid Victorian 18ct gold operculum necklace. This item is estimated at £1,400 – £2,000 in the sale.
- Designed as a slightly graduated operculum collet line.
- Comes with belcher-link two-row spacers and a concealed push-piece clasp.
- Length 42.5cms.
- Total weight 82.9gms.
Posted in All, Jewellery
Tagged bracelet, brooch, chimera, clasp, dragon, flashofhistory, foliate, Garnet, goldchimera, golddiamond, history, locket, Necklace, operculum, textured, Victorian, victorianhistory
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Fellows’ October Vintage Jewellery & Accessories sale features many beautiful historic lots.
Lot 4 is a stunning Napoleon III memorial ring. Napoleon III was Emperor of the French from 2 December 1852 – 4 September 1870. The rings were made from brass and given out to commemorate his death.
Lot 4 – A Napoleon III memorial ring. Estimate: £80-£120
Lot 32 is a mid to late Victorian hand painted and enamel hinged pendant. The white symbolises innocence, often used for the young or unmarried. The lamb is often used for children too. As this one in particular is being crowned it is probably representing Jesus, whereas the lady in the blue is the Madonna. The hair work in the back is in the shape of a wheat sheaf, often used in an allegorical context i.e. wheat is reaped, just as the souls of the dead will be on judgement day / at death. The pendant is estimated at £480-£680.
Lot 32 – A mid to late Victorian hand painted and enamel hinged pendant. Estimate: £480-£680
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Posted in All, Jewellery
Tagged auction, auctioneers, auctions, brilliant, enamelpendant, Fellows, fellowsauctioneers, fellowsauctions, france, historic, history, libertyandco, napoleon, painted, Ring, sybildunlop, Victorian, Vintage, vintageauction, vintagesale
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Victorian AV Sovereign 1841