Modern Scottish Provincial Silver - Alexander Richie of Iona

A nice silver spoon turned up recently on a trip to regional NSW. The dealer wasn't sure if it was silver, indeed the hallmarks were so small, I couldn't decipher them either. But what did stand out was the impressive Celtic design to the spoon and the marks I could read that said 'AR' and 'IONA'. I remembered reading a little somewhere about a silversmith, Alexander Richie, working on the Scottish island. So I purchased the spoon (along with a few other pieces of silver) for a good price.

A Jam Spoon by Alexander Richie of Iona, Scotland

It turned out this spoon was indeed silver and had been hallmarked in Glasgow in 1931.

Hallmarks and Engraving of Richie Spoon

Alexander Richie, along with his wife, Euphemia, began making silverware and jewellery (as well as wood and other metal work) at the end of the nineteenth century. He sent items from Iona to both Glasgow and Chester to be hallmarked. Most of his pieces have the Celtic or Viking influence that this spoon shows.

Celtic/Viking influenced design

For a great website with further information about Alexander, as well as numerous examples of his work, check out http://www.alexander-ritchie.co.uk/.

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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.

Silver Spoon Antiques

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