Essex Jewelry and Antiques
Set 8 c1860 Sterling Silver Handle Victoria Dinner Knives w Armorial Crest
Regular price
$630.00
Presented is a wonderful set of eight silver handled dinner knives, dating to circa 1860. These knives are made in the Victoria pattern, which is a less commonly seen pattern in a similar style to other English 'waisted' handle patterns, featuring acanthus leaf decoration and foliate scroll flourishes. The handles are all engraved with an armorial crest of a quartered oval shield with unicorns and eagles, supported by a pair of unicorns regardant, topped by a crown. Beneath is a banner bearing the Latin motto “Virtuti Fortuna Cedit,” translated as “Fortune Yields to Virtue.” Three of the knives are made by Francis Higgins and dated 1860, with English sterling silver handles, while the remaining six have 900/coin purity silver handles.
This set of knives is in excellent overall condition. The details of the pattern are fairly crisp. All the blades are in great shape and have no looseness, but one of the Higgins knives has some visible solder around where the blade joins the handle. There are no splits, no dents, no monogram removals, and no repairs to the silver.
Five of the knives are marked 900 on the collar for 900/coin purity silver. The remaining three have English hallmarks: the lion passant for sterling silver, the leopard's head for the city of London, the date letter e for 1860 and the maker's mark for Francis Higgins III. Five of the blades are marked for J. A. Henckels, while the remaining three are marked Jasius Imp. Corp and Made in France.
The knives are 10 1/8 to 10 1/4 inches long. -jm
This set of knives is in excellent overall condition. The details of the pattern are fairly crisp. All the blades are in great shape and have no looseness, but one of the Higgins knives has some visible solder around where the blade joins the handle. There are no splits, no dents, no monogram removals, and no repairs to the silver.
Five of the knives are marked 900 on the collar for 900/coin purity silver. The remaining three have English hallmarks: the lion passant for sterling silver, the leopard's head for the city of London, the date letter e for 1860 and the maker's mark for Francis Higgins III. Five of the blades are marked for J. A. Henckels, while the remaining three are marked Jasius Imp. Corp and Made in France.
The knives are 10 1/8 to 10 1/4 inches long. -jm