Scottish Silver Butter Knife

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Here you see an interesting piece of antique sterling silver flatware. This little item was actually produced in reasonable quantities and can still be found at quite good prices (I see a possible collection!). The earliest examples come from the late eighteenth century and have ivory handles, but by the late regency period (such as this one), they have a scimitar blade and the same handle as other flatware.

This one is a little more special, because it was made up in Scotland. It was assayed in Edinburgh in 1835, but the maker, David Gray was actually a Scottish Provincial maker, working in Dumfries.

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Women Silversmiths - Catherine L Charles, Edinburgh, 1940s

We haven't been able to find much information on artist and silversmith Catherine L Charles. She exhibited a self-portrait (pictured below) at the Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition, 1928. She exhibited from 1928-37 in Edinburgh, Scotland and was quite active until at least 1946. At the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, she exhibited at least eight pieces and one other was shown at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Other examples by her include a winter mill scene and a still life of a vase with roses She was producing sterling silverware in the Arts and Crafts style in Scotland in the 1940s. A number of examples of her work can be found. Her maker's mark is 'CLC'. We have a number of pieces by her currently in stock. A sterling butter fork by CL Charles Catherine's maker's mark and hallmarks for Edinburgh 1944 PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST, 1928. (Courtesy Mellors and Kirks Auction via Invaluable)

What's the rarest? Silver from Scottish Provincial towns.

Antique Scottish Provincial silver is one of the most interesting and confusing areas of silver collecting. There were numerous towns that were producing silver in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There were no regulations governing these towns, so each town (or silversmith) came up with their own marks. These were often related to town symbols or coat of arms. It is often the question of rarity that wildly affects the value for these pieces of silver. Below is a table of suggested rarity: Scarce Rare Very Rare Aberdeen Arbroath Cupar Dumfries Ballater Ellon Dundee Banff Fochabers Glasgow (pre-Assay office) Canongate Forres Inverness Elgin Leith Perth Greenock Nairn Iona Peterhead Montrose St. Andrews Paisley Stonehaven Tain Wick This list is published by antiquesilverspoons.co.uk and is based on the research of Richard Turner (who's book, A Directory of Scottish Provincial Silversmiths and Their Ma

Regional NSW Colonial Jewellers and Silversmiths - T. H. RAYSMITH of Newcastle (in progress)

Thomas Henry Raysmith started his business in 1876 in Newcastle, New South Wales as Watchmaker, Jeweller and Engraver. He appears to have also been a silversmith. His work was quoted in the newspaper regarding "the immense number of Masonic jewels, medals, badges, and other trophies manufactured by him bearing testimony to their quality ". By the end of his career, he was know as Jeweller and Silversmith. Below is a nice heavy colonial sterling serviette ring stamped 'RAYSMITH', made probably circa 1890-1900. He closed his shop in the 1920s. He passed away 1935 aged 77. Below is a gold pocketwatch by Raysmith.

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