Antique silver — the most interesting small collectibles in London

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A George III wine label in the form of a cast scallop shell engraved for PORT made in London in 1808 by Benjamin and James Smith.

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This model of label seems to have been prestigious when it was made, with a set of 18 silver-gilt examples ordered as part of the Grand Service still in the Royal Collection, has always been sought after by collectors. Pages 88 to 89 of Wine labels 1730-2003 edited by John Salter (2004) describe shell labels and figure 337 illustrates an example of this model made by Benjamin Smith in 1807 and they were the subject of an article by in the Wine Label Circle Journal in 2022.

A cast wine label with integral crest engraved for HOCK, by Isaac Cookson of Newcastle (d. 1754), crested for FENWICK .
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This label is described as follows in Wine Labels 1730-2003 (2004)- p. 224:
"Mid-eighteenth century cast designs are rare [in Newcastle], but not unknown. Isaac Cookson made a version of the two putti design (see fig. 744 HOCK by Isaac Cookson circa 1745) incorporating, top centre, a crest of a phoenix in flames , 'murally gorged'. This is the crest of the Fenwick family , which had several branches in the surrounding counties of Northumberland and Durham. As with all armorial labels, these labels would have to have been made to a private commission and were probably in a set of six".

This label was exhbited at the Wine Label Circle in 2003 while the BURGUNDY from the set is mentioned in the Society's Journal in 1954, the CLARET in 1957. PORT, CHAMPAGNE and another (unspecified) were referred to in 1976.

A George IV Britannia standard wine label with threaded border engraved for MADEIRA, by George Knight London 1825 .
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A Britannia standard Sherry label of the same year by the same maker, but with canted corners rather than rounded ends, is referred to in Wine Labels 1730-2003 on page 135. At the time of publication that label (along with a sauce label by William Knight of 1831) were the only recorded examples of a pre Victorian Britannia standard wine label . The Sherry label is in a private collection and once formed part of the collections of Sir Thomas Barlow and later that of Tony Cowdry.

A Victorian wine label in the form of a silver barrel hoop (36cm in diameter) with a space for a card insert made in London in 1883 by John Mappin.

Price: £750.00

A George III Silver-gilt wine label featuring Bacchus and grapes engraved for BOURDEAUX made in London in 1804 by Benjamin Smith and Digby Scott.

Price: £595.00

A 'Sherry 2' wine label of this design, made by the same makers in the same year, is illustrated as figure 283 on page 74 of Wine Labels 1730-2003 (2004), edited by John Salter.

A William IV wine label embossed with agriculural motifs and the word 'Free' stamped twice forming a motto (all of which relate to the Free Trade movement) and pierced for BUCELLAS made c. 1835 and stamped Mordan on the reverse for Sampson Mordan and Company.

Price: £575.00

The Free Trade Movement formed the main opposition to the controversial Corn laws enacted by British Governments that imposied tariffs on imported cereals and staple foods from 1815 onwards before being repealed in 1846. These laws protected the agricultural land owners but were unpopular with an increasingly urban population, as well as many others. In 1846 Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel managed to repeal the Corn laws, with help from the Whig opposition, but in doing so caused a split in his own party.

Bucellas is a Portuguese wine region located south of the Arruda Valley. The majority of the wine produced was white and the Duke of Wellington, having taken a liking to it during the Peninsular War, did much to popularise it.

A George IV rectangular wine label, with canted corners and a threaded border, engraved for SHERRY by John Townsend of the Cape of Good Hope (active 1824-1846) circa 1830.
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Stephen Welz comments in his Cape Silver (1976) comments that 'Cape silver wine labels are rare' and Wine Labels 1730-2003 (2004) continues that the vast majority of labels were made by British silversmiths in the Cape and that 'the demand for wine labels was apparently never very great'.

John Townsend arrived in the Cape of Good Hope in 1824 and is recorded as a goldsmith and jeweller at a number of addresses between 1824 and 1846.

A George IV wine label decorated with bacchic revellers pierced for BOURGONE made in London in 1824 by John Reily.

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Pages 74 to 78 of Wine labels 1730-2003 edited by John Salter (2004) describe this model and figure 287 illustrates an example of a similar model made in 1821 by George Pearson. This label carries an alternative spelling of Burgundy.

A William IV wine label embossed with the agriculural symbols and the word 'Free' stamped twice forming a motto (all of which relate to the Free Trade movement) and pierced for MADEIRA made c. 1835 and stamped Mordan on the reverse for Sampson Mordan and Company.

Price: £525.00

The Free Trade Movement formed the main opposition to the controversial Corn laws enacted by British Governments imposing tariffs on imported cereals and staple foods from 1815 onwards before being repealed in 1846. These laws protected the agricultural land owners but were unpopular with an increasingly urban population, as well as many others who were affected . In 1846 Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel managed to repeal the Corn laws, with help from the Whig opposition, but in doing so caused a split in his own party.

A pair of George III sauce labels with shaped gadrooned borders pierced for Cayenne and Anchovy made in London in 1816 by Thomas and James Phipps

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A George III escutcheon-shaped wine label for CLARET, by Samuel Teare of Dublin circa 1755, initialled {BE}
Price: £495.00

A wine label for CALCAVELLA of similar shape and threaded border by this maker is in the collection of the National Museum of Ireland and is illustrated on page 129 of 500 years of Irish silver by Ida Delamer and Conor O'Brien (2005) as figure 23.23.

A set of three octagonal George III wine labels with canted corners made in Edinburgh circa 1815 by George McHattie- each is engraved and enamelled with a single letter: L (for Lisbon), M (for Madeira) and S (for Sherry).
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A George IV rectangular wine label with canted corners and a threaded border engraved for SETGES made in London in 1821 by W?.

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Setges is a wine growing area described by Penzer as lying "on the coast 18 miles S.W. of Barcelona and produces a good Malvasia or Malmsey. It is pale and clear, but acquires colour with age.". It is an unusual name to find on a wine label and only occurs four times in the Wine Label Circle Journal only since 1952.

A Victorian shaped rectangular wine label with Feather-edged border engraved for MADEIRA, by Rawlings and Summers London 1854 , crested for the Goldsmiths' Company. .
Price: £475.00

The Goldsmiths' Company of London received its Royal charter in 1327, making it the 5th Livery Company to be established. It oversees the hallmarking (a term derived from the marks being struck at Goldsmiths' Hall) of all items of precious metal marked in London.

The first labels of this design were commissioned by the Company from Margaret Binley in around 1770 and they continued to commission very similar labels until 1854. This label was one of six recorded in the catalogue of the Company silver (privately published in 1926) bought from Rawlings and Summers in 1854 (all for MADEIRA). In 1970 the Goldsmiths' Company sold 46 of the 96 labels they had purchased.

A George III rectangular wine label with oval ends and threaded borders engraved for CALEDONIA made in London in 1805 by Elizabeth Morley.

Price: £475.00

The name CALEDONIA was added to the list of previously unrecorded names of wines and spirits by the Wine Label Circle in 1958. However no definitive information has been published as to what the decanter would have contained. The most likely explanation appears to be that it is an alternative name for whisky (perhaps to confuse the servants). The Edradour distillery in Pitlochry now markets a Caledonia range but was only founded in 1825 and there is no apparent evidence that the name Caledonia was used there in the nineteenth century.

However there is a possible alternative- that it referred to wine brought back on the East India Company ship the Calendonia which was launched in 1795 in Calcutta and made three trips from India to Britain in 1796-1797, 1800 and 1801-1802. On the last trip the refitting costs were £5540 10s but unfortunately on 29th July 1803, when trading along her native coast, the Caledonia caught fire and exploded leading to 86 fatalities (of the 157 people onboard) including the First, Second and Third officers.

A George II escutcheon shaped wine label engraved for PORT made in Newcastle c. 1750 by Isaac Cookson (d. 1754).
Price: £450.00

Price: £

A George III impressed wine label for EAU D'OR made in Birmingham in 1814 by Joseph Willmore.

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EAU D'OR is a liqueur made in Dantzig, also called Goldwasser, first recorded in 1598. It is a clear herb-flavoured liqueur with a perfume of aniseed and caraway and has flakes of 22 or 23 carat gold suspended in it. Gold is non-toxic to humans and passes through the digestive tract unchanged. Eau D'Or is used to flavour a traditional Souffle Rothschild.

In 1865 Eau D'Or appeared on the cellar list of Charles Dickens. The perfume Eau D'Or was launched in 1994.

A crescent wine label engraved for PORT, Chester circa 1780 by Joseph Walley of Liverpool.
Price: £425.00

A George III silver-gilt wine label with notches beneath (for identification by the blind) engraved for PORT made in London in 1804 by John Reily.

Price: £395.00

On page 191 of Wine Labels 1730-2003: A Worldwide History it is commented that: "Intriguing narrow rectangular labels exist with eyelets above and coded tassels below, presumably for fingering by blind persons. Perhaps the blind could distinguish easily between sweet and dry sherry using this method. They bear Thomas Heming's unregistered mark (Grimwade 3828) in use from c.1760 to c. 1782". This label would seem to have been made to enlarge the set.

A George II crescent shaped wine label engraved for PORT made in Thomas Hyde of London circa 1755 , initialled {AP}.

Price: £395.00

A George III escutcheon shaped wine label with flat chased decoration engraved for SHERRY, made in Dublin between 1809 and 1820 by John Townsend (retailed by [Matthew] West).
Price: £375.00

Douglas Bennett, in his two books on Irish silver (1972 and 1984), records three retailer's marks for the firm of Matthew West (M W, M. West, M. West beneath a crown) but not the one found on this wine label.

A George III crown shaped wine label engraved for BRANDY made in London in 1819 by Francis Powell.

Price: £365.00

A very similar label to this for Rum is illustrated on page 84 of Wine Labels 1730-2003 (2004) as figure 318. That example was made in 1831, the year of the coronation of William IV, and although this label was assayed in 1819 the 1819-1820 assay year in London covers the the death of George IV in January 1820 and subsequent inheritance of the British crown by George IV.

A George III rectangular wine label with gadrooned border and stylised acanthus cresting engraved for MADEIRA made in Exeter in 1817 by Emmanuel Levy.
Price: £365.00

Emmanuel Levy of Exeter was a pawnbroker, jeweller and silversmith and was active between 1807 and 1818. His business was then taken over by his son, Simon, who worked until 1832. According to the records of the Exeter assay office Emmanuel assayed 14 wine labels during his working life but at the time of publication of Wine Labels 1730-2003 (2004) none by Levy were recorded in collections and none have been referred to in the Wine Label Circle Journal.

A George II escutcheon shaped wine label engraved for WHITE WINE made in London circa 1755 by Sandilands Drinkwater, initialled {SF}.
Price: £365.00

A Victorian wine label stamped with cherubs and pierced for PORT made in London in 1839 by Sampson Mordan and Company (also stamped with their retailers mark).

Price: £350.00

On page 116 of Wine labels 1730-2003 (published in 2004) it is noted that 'Sampson Mordan produced some of the most finely stamped labels of all'.

A pair of George III sauce labels with rounded ends engraved for ANCHOVY and SOY, made in London circa 1800 by John Rich.
Price: £350.00

A George III scroll shaped wine label with integral cartouche and feather-edge borders engraved for MOUNTAIN made in London circa 1780 by Hester Bateman, crested with a dragon's head between wings all out of a coronet.

Price: £345.00

A Victorian Vine Leaf shaped wine label pierced for BEER made in Birmingham in 1847 by Yapp and Woodward.

Price: £345.00

A set of four Elizabeth II wine labels with feather-edge borders engraved for PORT, SHERRY, BRANDY and WHISKY made in Sheffield in 2009 by Arthur Holder.

Price: £345.00

Arthur 'Pat' Holder (1918-2016) joined the Wine Label Circle in 1992 was an enthusiastic member of the Circle and regular contributor to the Journal. Arthur had a formidable collection of antique examples, subsequently sold at auction, but was also, in his retirement, a keen silversmith. In the obituary to Holder in the Wine Label Circle Journal the author recalled that 'around 30 years ago {c. 1986}, Pat had joined a silversmithing course at Chesterfield Technical College, when he must have been past the normal retirement age, and continued to attend until last year {2015}. His work was extremely good, wine labels of course but he particularly enjoyed raising bowls and making finely pierced Fish Slices'. At the 2010 Annual General Meeting he displayed a number of the pieces he had made including 'some fine modern labels'- quite possibly including this set and he illustrated this Port in the Wine Label Circle Journal that year.

A George III rectangular wine label with canted corners and a bright-cut border engraved for MADEIRA, by Robert Jones of Liverpool circa 1790 .
Price: £345.00

This label, or one very similar to it, is illustrated as label number 698 on page 202 of Wine Labels 1730-2003 (2003).

A George III wine label with thread-edge border engraved for WHITE WINE, by IW of Chester (John Walker of Chester or Joseph Walley of Liverpool) , c. 1800.
Price: £335.00

Labels by Joseph Walley of Liverpool (d. 1801) are recorded. If it is by him the shape would suggest that it was a late example of his work.

The other candidate for this mark is John Walker of Chester. He was the son of George Walker I of Chester and was born in 1782. John was made a member of the Goldsmiths' Company of Chester in 1808, having been apprenticed to his father, and succeeded his father as Assay Master on the latters death in 1809 (although he did not swear the oath of that office until 1819). In 1825 Walker described himself as Secretary (as well as Assay Master) and in 1834 he was admitted to the Company again 'according to ancient use and custom'.

In 1840 he appears to have ceased his activities with the Goldsmiths' Company of Chester in the wider disgrace of his family. It certainly seems dubious for the son of the Assay Master (if this label were 1808-1809) or the Assay Master himself, if this label were made after 1809, to be avoiding assaying charges. John Walker is only known to have assayed four labels in his career and the whereabouts of these are currently unknown.

A William IV wine label with pressed vine border pierced for BUCELLAS made in Birmingham in 1832 by Matthew Boulton, crested with a wheat sheaf.

Price: £325.00

This model is one recorded by the Matthew Boulton Plate Company. There is a PORT assayed in 1827 in the Cropper Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) took over his father's button making business in 1759 and produced Sheffield Plate from as early as 1762. He built the Soho works in 1766 and was one of the main proponents of the Birmingham assay office in 1773. Following Boulton's death in 1810 the business became the Matthew Boulton Plate Company and ceased trading in 1844.

A Victorian wine label on a neck ring engraved for BUCELLAS made in Exeter in 1839 by John Stone.

Price: £325.00

The records of the Exeter Assay Office show that John Stone produced 25 labels between 1833 and 1863.

A George IV parcel-gilt wine label decorated with leopard's head and vine decoration engraved for MADEIRA made in Sheffield in 1821 by Robert Gainsford.

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This label carries an unusual double struck set of hallmarks (including the maker's mark). There is also an example of the same model and date and by the same maker (but not in their case parcel gilt), engraved for whisky, in the Victoria and Albert Museum is in the P.J. Cropper Bequest. In both cases the maker's mark is included in both sets of hallmarks- suggesting that the maker's mark was applied at the Sheffield Assay Office rather than in the workshop of the maker.

A pair of Victorian sauce label sized wine labels with threaded borders engraved for RUM and BRANDY made in London in 1856 by Charles Rawlings and William Summers.
Price: £325.00

A George IV rectangular wine label with canted corners and a threaded border pierced for CHERRY BRANDY made in London in 1825 by Charles Reily.
Price: £325.00

The first record of a Cherry Brandy label in the Wine Label Circle Journal is in Volume 1 number 5 issued in August 1953 when the name was ordered to be engraved on one of the Coronation commemorative labels. Georgian Cherry Brandy labels are recorded and an early reference to it is in The Tatler for December 19th-December 21st 1710. The diaries of Joseph Farington (1747-1821) include a reference to Cherry Brandy being served at a dinner he attended on 23rd September 1800 at the home of Mr. Bell, a wine merchant. There it was served with other liquours at the end of dinner but before the fruit was served. Farington notes that this was 'a Scottish custom and the ladies partake of it'.

A George III Rectangular sauce label with a threaded border engraved for CHILI VINEGAR made in Edinburgh in 1817 by George McHattie.
Price: £325.00

A George III crescent shaped wine label with beaded borders engraved MADERE, unmarked circa 1780 .
Price: £325.00

According to the Journal of the Wine Label Circle (founded 1952) this unusual variant of the name Madeira appears to be unrecorded on silver labels- apparently only on ceramic examples.

A George III Prince of Wales Feathers wine label engraved for LISBON made in London in 1791 by the Batemans overstruck by TW (probably Thomas Wilmore of Birmingham)

Price: £295.00

A George III rectangular wine label with feather-edged border engraved for WHITE WINE made in London circa 1760 by Richard Binley.

Price: £295.00

An oval reeded wine label engraved for SHERRY, by Williams Brothers Exeter 1853
Price: £295.00

This label was once part of the Warde-Aldam family silver at Hooton Pagnell, Yorkshire. It is one of only 33 assayed by the Williams Brothers at Exeter and must be one of the earliest of their labels assayed there -- Exeter Assay Office records only show their labels from 1854 onwards.

A Victorian circular wine label with a threaded border engraved for SHERRY made in London in 1846 by George Frederick Pinnel, initialled {W}.

Price: £295.00

A wine label with threaded border pierced for CHAMPAGNE, by Thomas Phipps and Edward Robinson London 1806.
Price: £295.00

A small bottle stand mounted on a wooden base, by Robert Hennell London 1832, crested for the GORDON family, baronets of Niton.
Price: £275.00

Sir James Willoughby Gordon (1772-1851) became Quartermaster General under the Duke of Wellington in 1812 and held the post until 1851, as well as being MP for Launceston 1829-1831.

A George III eye shaped wine label with wrigglework border engraved for LISBON made in London circa 1780 by Susannah Barker, initialled {EO}.

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A George III cast wine label, the design incorporating a leopard's head and vines, engraved for PORT made in London in 1815 (with the duty mark showing that it was assayed between 1st September 1815 and 30th May 1816) by Thomas Wallis and Jonathan Hayne.

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A George III wine label with threaded border engraved for CHAMPAIGN made in London in 1811 by James Atkins.
Price: £265.00

A George III rectangular wine label with wrigglework borders engraved for Madeira made in Dublin circa 1805 by John Townsend (active 1802-1827).

Price: £255.00

A Victorian sauce label with a threaded border pierced for ANCHOVY made in London in 1844 by Charles Rawlings and William Summers.
Price: £250.00

A George III shaped rectangular wine label with a threaded border with a cartouche flanked by cornucopia above engraved for MADEIRA made in London in 1793 by Phipps and Robinson, crested with a leopard's head out of a coronet.

Price: £245.00

A George III sauce label with a threaded border engraved for ANCHOVY made in London in 1803 by John Whittingham.
Price: £245.00

A George III sauce label with a threaded border engraved for SOY made in London circa 1790 by James Hyde.
Price: £245.00

A Victorian wine label with threaded border engraved MADEIRA, Rawlings and Summers London 1837, crested for Philip Yorke Gore, 4th Earl of Arran (1801-1884) .
Price: £245.00

Philip Yorke Gore (1801-1884) inherited the Earldom of Arran from his uncle in 1837. Prior to this point he had a diplomatic career starting with his appointment as Attache to the British legation in Stockholm before being transferred to Paris in 1825 and Lisbon in 1826. From 1827-1837 Gore was Secretary to the Legation in Buenos Aires (where he was also Charge D'Affaires from 1832-1834). In 1838 Gore, now Earl of Arran, married Elizabeth Napier (d. 1899). Elizabeth was the daughter of the historian of the Peninsular war General Sir Francis Napier (1785-1860) and had the second Duke of Richmond as both her maternal and paternal grandfather (making her also a great, great grand daughter of Charles II).

A George III wine label engraved for PORT with chased border, by Barber and Whitwell York circa 1820 .
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A small number of labels in this design are recorded (see figure 762 in 'Wine Labels 1730-2003') and another PORT formed part of lot 166 in the Woolley and Wallis silver sale on 16th April 2019). On 30th May 1820, the York Assay Office book records Barber and Whitwell submitting wine labels (among other things) but they were detailed as: '6 Chased labels [and] 24 Shelled labels'. One might suggest that this label is one of the ' 6 Chased' examples.

An Old Sheffield Plate wine coaster with japanned base and border pierced with Prince of Wales Feathers, circa 1790 .
Price: £240.00

A coaster of very similar design to the body of this one can be seen in figure 334a of Gordon Crosskey's Old Sheffield Plate: A history of the 18th century plated trade (2011). The japanned base, described as 'very rare' on page 280 of that book, a set with these bases shown in figure 333.

A rectangular George IV wine label with canted corners and threaded borders engraved for BARSAC made in London in 1821 by John Reily.
Price: £235.00

Barsac is a sweet white wine from the commune of that name which adjoins the Sauterne region.

A George V rectangular wine label with threaded border and integral cartouche engraved for BRANDY, by Levi and Salaman Birmingham 1911 (Britannia standard), crested with a hand holding a dagger .
Price: £225.00

It is rare to find wine labels made in Britannia standard silver (95.8% silver as opposed to Sterling which is 92.5%). The higher standard was compulsory from 1697-1720 and remained an option after that. The authors of Wine Labels 1730-2003 were only able to find two nineteenth century examples assayed in London (one wine label and one sauce label). In the late nineteenth century there was a resurgence of interest in the use of this standard but the majority of pieces seen bear London hallmarks.

A boudoir label engraved GLYCERINE, by William Jones London 1859 .
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A George IV wine label with pierced vine border and pierced for PORT made in Birmingham in 1827 by Ledsam, Vale and Wheeler.

Price: £210.00

Labels with similar piercing , although of a different shape, are illustrated on page 241 of Wine Labels 1730-2003: A Worldwide History as labels 793 (a Port label circa 1825-1827 probably by Thomas Freeman) and 794 (a Gin label by Joseph Willmore assayed in 1833).

A George III wine label with shell and scroll border pierced for SHERRY, by John Reily London 1816, crested for Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland (1773-1840).
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Henry Fox (later Vassall-Fox) (1773-1840), was 3rd Baron Holland from 1774. He was descended from Charles II (via the Dukes of Richmond) and inherited his title when just over a year old. His was a strongly Whig family with his uncle being the orator Charles James Fox. Baron Holland himself was described as 'rather the Whig party itself than its leader'. As a result of his firmly held Whig principles, Holland held few Government offices — he served as Lord Privy Seal in the brief 'Ministry of All The Talents' that followed the death of William Pitt the Younger in 1806, and then as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster between 1830-1834 and 1835-1840. In 1797 he married the recently divorced Elizabeth, Lady Webster, daughter of Richard Vassall of Jamaica (after paying £6000 in damages to Webster for 'criminal conversation' with his wife, which led to the birth of the future archaeologist (and General) Charles Richard Fox).

A William IV cast wine label pierced for SHERRY made in London in 1831 by Rawlings and Summers.

Price: £210.00

A George IV sauce label with gadrooned border engraved for Cavice made in London in 1823 by John Reily

Price: £210.00

A George III rectangular wine label with feather-edged border engraved for MADEIRA made in London circa 1760 by Richard Binley.

Price: £195.00

A George III pair of Old Sheffield Plate wine coasters with gadrooned and shell borders and roundels crested with an arm holding a book, circa 1820

Price: £195.00

A base metal George III pierced wine coaster with gadrooned border, wooden base and applied rococo cartouche, circa 1770.

Price: £195.00

Chemical XRF analysis by the London Assay Office shows that that the pierced body of this coaster is made of an alloy with 92.1% copper and 5.7 % zinc (along with very small amounts of Nickel, Lead, iron and silver). The rim is 93.7% copper and 4.9% zinc (with very small amounts of nickel, lead and silver). This suggests that the alloy could be so-called 'German Silver', which has an unusually high copper content. Another named alloy is Tombac, a brass alloy with a high copper content and between 5 and 20% zinc. The name is of Javanese origin and entered the Dutch language witth their colonisation of the area in the early 17th century and then entered both English and German. Usually, however, Tombac is of a colour closer to that of gold. Interestingly White Tombac was in use for buttons in the 18th century and is also called White Copper. In 1766 the correspondence between Matthew Boulton and John Fothergill mentions 'East India white copper' and in 1768 Boulton was offered '500 lbs of white copper at 9s per pound' [equivalent to £1,000 per ton]. In 1771 there are several references to 'white copper' in letters to and from Boulton's London agent W. Matthews.

This coaster appears to have been made been made in the same mould as an Old Sheffield Plate pair with the crest of Viscount Tracy engraved on the cartouche (Private Collection).

It is possible, therefore, that the Boulton references are to the alloy employed in this coaster and that it was a short-lived and non economically viable experiment by Boulton or someone else thinking along the same lines.

A George III rectangular wine label with canted corners and a threaded border engraved for CALCAVELLA made in London in 1809 by John Reily.

Price: £195.00

Calcavella is a sweet wine produced in Portugal (recorded as early as 1769). It was favoured by Thomas Jefferson who seems to have discovered it when he was American ambassador to France between 1784 and 1789. When writing about wine, Thomas Jefferson said, ”I would prefer good Lisbon; next to that Sherry, next to that Calcavallo: but still a good quality of the latter would be preferable to an indifferent quality of the former”.

A George IV wine label with impressed border engraved for RUM made in Birmingham in 1829 by Ledsam, Vale and Wheeler.
Price: £195.00

A George III wine label with hump top and hobcut engraving engraved for RUM made in London circa 1816 by Thomas Leathwick Robinson.

Price: £195.00

Thomas Leathwick Robinson (1782-1864) was a London goldsmith who operated from a number of addresses in the City of London before being apprehended for 'selling four silver bottle labels with forged and counterfeit hall-marks' in 1822. He was also charged with creating the false stamps but, due to his helpfulness, was only indicted for selling the labels. He was sentenced to be transported to Australia for 14 years and arrived in Hobart onboard the Competitor on August 2nd 1823.

In 1824 Robinson was appointed as a school master in Campbelltown in New South Wales. By 1829 he had gained his Ticket of Leave (removing many of the restrictions on him) and his full freedom in 1836. As early as 1828 he had been joined by his family. At the time of his death he was farming a tract of land in the Maneroo area, adjacent to the Snowy River.

The Robinson family remained in Australia- his son Frederick becoming a tin plate worker and founding a firm his own son, Ellis, was to take over. Frederick was a member of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind Institution for 39 years and Ellis served as Secretary for 41 years. Their descendants are still living in Australia.

A George III sauce label with a threaded border pierced for READING, unmarked circa 1800.
Price: £195.00

Reading sauce is believed to have been invented by James Cocks, a fishmonger of Reading, in the late 18th century. It was originally a dissolved fish sauce but Mrs. Beaton's recipe included: walnut pickle, shallots, spring water, Indian soy, ginger, pepper (both long and Cayenne), anchovies and bay leaves. The sauce was referred to by Jules Verne in Around the world in 80 days (where Mr. Fogg has it as part of his breakfast) and a variation made by Harvey's was referred to by Lewis Carroll in his Poeta fit non nascitur. Commercial production of this sauce ceased in 1962.

A Victorian sauce label with threaded border engraved for SOY made in London circa 1890 by William Summers.
Price: £195.00

A Victorian sauce label with a threaded border engraved for ANCHOVY made in London in 1855 by Rawlings and Summers.
Price: £195.00

A pair of Victorian electroplated gorget shaped wine labels circa 1900 for BUCHANAN'S ROYAL HOUSEHOLD and FINE OLD IRISH.

Price:

James Buchanan (1850-1935) was of Scottish descent but born in Canada. He returned to Scotland and was employed by the shipping agents William Sloane and Company of Glasgow. Buchanan moved to London in 1879 as an agent for a whiskey blending company, Charles McKinlay and Company, and in 1884 he set up James Buchanan and Company. The firm set out to create a blended whiskey to suit the English palate. The business prospered and they were soon supplying music halls and the bar of the House of Commons. In 1895 Buchanan secured Royal Warrants from Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York and in 1900 he created a blend especially for the Royal Household. In 1925 Buchanan entered Joined Distillers and the brand he founded continues as part of Diageo.

A George III large stamp label of unusual curved section with threaded border engraved S (for SHERRY), made in Edinburgh circa 1810 by George McHattie.

Price: £175.00

A George III stamp shaped wine label with gadrooned border engraved S (for SHERRY) made in London in 1815(carrying the duty mark used between 14th June and 31st August) by John Reily, numbered {10}.

Price: £165.00

A George III stamp shaped wine label with gadrooned border engraved M (for Madeira) made in London in 1815 (carrying the duty mark used between 14th June and 31st August) by John Reily, numbered {11}.

Price: £165.00

A George III crescent shaped wine label with feather-edge borders engraved for SHERRY made in London circa 1770 by Margaret Binley.

Price: £165.00

In May 1764 Margaret Binley inherited the flourishing business in Gutter Lane previously run by her husband Richard (active 1760-1764) and inherited by him from his master, Sandylands Drinkwater. Margaret ran the business until 1789 with wine labels as her principal output but her mark is also recorded on buckles and buttons. She appears to have died in 1797 and her will is recorded in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury as that of 'Margaret Binley, widow of Saint Mary's Stoke Newington'.

A George III sauce label with threaded border engraved for KYAN made in London circa 1790 by Phipps and Robinson.
Price: £165.00

A George III Old Sheffield Plate wine coaster with pierced sides, circa 1800.
Price: £165.00

A George III navette shaped wine label with pierced body engraved for MADEIRA, unmarked last quarter of the 18th century probably by Susannah Barker or John Reily.

Price: £155.00

Although this label is unmarked very similar examples have been noted by Susannah Barker and figure 546 of Wine Labels 1730-2003 (2004) shows a BRANDY label by John Reily assayed in 1799.

A Victorian wine label in the form of an M (for Madeira) with engraved body, made in London in 1854 by Charles Rawlings and William Summers.

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A George IV Old Sheffield Plate wine coaster circa 1820 by Matthew Boulton Plate Company, crested (on an inset silver disc) with a demi-lion rampant.

Price: £145.00

A George III Old Sheffield Plate wine coaster made in Birmingham circa 1820 by Henry Frith.

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A George III wine label with threaded border engraved for HOCK made in London in 1811 by James Atkins.
Price: £135.00

A pair of George III rectangular wine labels with canted corners and wrigglework borders engraved for GIN and BRANDY, unmarked circa 1800.

Price: £130.00

A Victorian wine label of escutcheon form with engraved decoration and engraved for BRANDY made in Birmingham in 1846 by George Unite.

Price: £125.00

A rectangular label with cut corners engraved BRANDY by Joseph Angell, London 1813.
Price: £120.00

A Victorian wine label engraved for CHERRY BRANDY made in London in 1895 by William Summers.

Price: £110.00

A George III rectangular wine label with canted corners and a threaded border pierced for MADEIRA made in London in 1814 Thomas Phipps, Edward Robinson and James Phipps.
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A pair of George III rectangular wine labels with wriggle-work borders engraved for MADEIRA and SHERRY made circa 1780 from an alloy that resembles silver (probably one containing nickel such as 'white copper' or 'Tombruc').

Price: £95.00

An Elizabeth II wine label made for use on Concorde and engraved for WHISKY made in London in 1986 by British Airways.

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Following initial research that started in 1954 the treaty that established the Concorde supersonic air liner as a joint project between British Airways and Sud Aviation was signed in 1962. The first flight was in 1969 and commercial flights lasted until 2001- the final aircraft was retired in 2003. The high prestige of travelling on Concorde meant that they had silver objects for use in First Class- including cutlery, napkin rings and wine labels.

A George IV oval wine label with gadrooned border pierced for SHERRY made in London in 1829 by Charles Rawlings and William Summers.

Price: £90.00

An Elizabeth II wine label made for use on Concorde and engraved for GIN made in London in 1986 by British Airways.

Price:

Following initial research that started in 1954 the treaty that established the Concorde supersonic air liner as a joint project between British Airways and Sud Aviation was signed in 1962. The first flight was in 1969 and commercial flights lasted until 2001- the final aircraft was retired in 2003. The high prestige of travelling on Concorde meant that they had silver objects for use in First Class- including cutlery, napkin rings and wine labels.

A George III wine label with threaded border engraved for CLARET made in London in 1811 by James Atkins.
Price: £75.00

A William IV Old Sheffield Plate wine label decorated with fruit and flowers engraved MR. MACDOWALL, circa 1830.

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This name is not recorded by the Wine Label Circle and is likely to refer to the, now unknown, favourite drink of Mr. MacDowall.

A George III wine label with threaded border engraved for MADEIRA made in London in 1811 by James Atkins.
Price: £65.00

A Victorian paper wine label printed in gold ink and for SPARKLING HOCK.

Price: £58.00

A George III Old Sheffield Plate crescent shaped wine label with fluted top, engraved for SHERRY, circa 1790.

Price: £55.00