Rare 1886 Silver & Enamel Grenadier Guard Sentry Box Vesta Case Sampson Mordan

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Rare 1886 Silver & Enamel Grenadier Guard Sentry Box Vesta Case Sampson Mordan:
$8776.63

Here for your consideration is an exquisite and extremely rare, genuine original, antique Victorian, 1886, silver and enamel, Sampson Mordan,novelty, sentry box, vesta case, with hinged lid, depicting an officer of the Queen’s Grenadier Guards.

These rare, silver enamelled, sentry box vesta cases, were produced by Sampson Mordan in 1886 and depicted soldiers from the Queen’s Royal regiments, to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. Today considered to be the most highly prized and collectable of all the vesta cases.

This is as good as it gets with regards to novelty Sampson Mordan vesta cases. There areplenty of vesta cases out there, but how manyof these have you seen. An extremely rare find indeed, I\'ve only got one, once it\'s gone .... it\'s gone. You might never findanother one like this, and if there\'s one thing I\'ve learned about antiques, when items are of quality and extremelyrare he who hesitates usually loses out.

It features delightful, finely engraved, enamel workmanship, bearing the SM maker\'s mark in an oblong cartouche for Sampson Mordan, lion passant, leopards head London assay mark, Queen Victoria duty mark, and date letter \'L\' in a shield cartouche for 1886. The front is also stamped with the registration number 38283.

A beautiful example of a novelty vesta case by one of the very best Victorian silversmiths. Considering this exquisite novelty silver and enamel vesta case is 131 years old itsin very good condition, with no denting or enamel damage. It does have some beautiful silver age related patina, commensurate with 131 years of age, but nothing unusual.

Please note, photos 11 and 12 are reference photos only to show what these two delightful vesta cases would look like together.

The Grenadier Guards ...

The Grenadier Guards were first formed in 1656 by the exiled Charles II in Bruges, as the ‘Royal Regiment of Guards’, under the Colonel Lord Wentworth. The Regiment was initially recruited from the loyal men who had followed their King into exile and were rewarded in 1660 when the King was restored to the throne. In 1665 the Regiment was renamed the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards.

In 1667 a young John Churchill (later to become the 1st Duke of Marlborough) became an ensign of the Regiment. He rose through the ranks and became its colonel from 1704 to 1722.

The 1st went on to serve during the Wars of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), and fought at the battles of Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), Oudenarde (1708) and Malplaquet (1709). The Regiment fought during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, but it was during the Peninsular War in 1815 at the battle of Waterloo they gained their present title and undying fame by defeating the Grenadiers of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard and granted the title of Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards.

The Regiment went on to serve in the Crimean War (1853–1856), fighting at the Alma river, Inkerman, and Sevastopol, the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882, fighting at Battle of Tel el-Kebir and then the Mahdist War in Sudan, at the Battle of Omdurman, and the Second Boer War, at the Battle of Modder River and the Battle of Belmont.

In 1994 as part of the British Army’s ‘Options for Change’ reforms, the Grenadier Guards were reduced to a single battalion while the 2nd Battalion put into \'suspended animation\', to keep the colours and traditions safe and renamed \"The Nijmegen Company\".

Sampson Mordan(1790–1843) ...

ABritish silversmith and co-inventor of the first patented mechanical pencil.He was an apprenticeto the inventor and locksmith Joseph Bramah. From 1823-1837, Sampson Mordanmanufactured and sold silver mechanical pencils with the markings \"SMGR\" with his business partner Gabriel Riddle.After the partnershipwith Riddle dissolved, Mordan continued to sell his silver pencils as \"S. Mordan & Co.\", adding many other types of silver and gold items to his product line. Mordan often madewhimsical \"figural\" shapes that resembled animals, Egyptian mummies, or other objects; like his other silverware and gold ware these items are now highly collectible. Upon Mordan\'s death in 1843, his sons Sampson (junior) and Augustus inherited the firm. \"S. Mordan & Co.\" continued to make silverware until 1941, when bombs destroyed their factory during the London Blitz.

Dimensions as follows ...

Length: 2.3 inches or 5.9 cm

Width: 0.85 inches or 2.3 cm

Depth: 0.35 inches or 10 mm

Weight: 0.9 oz or 25 grams

Samson Mordan noveltysilver items,are highly collectable, and would add value to any silver collection. These delightful silver and enamel novelty vesta cases have become so very collectable and are only going to appreciate in value, in years to come. A real must for any serious silver collector.

This stunning Victorian novelty vesta case would make an ideal gift.

The silver and enamel vesta case willbe sent out recorded, special delivery with insurance.

Please note, all my international postal charges are only estimates andwill be confirmed and altered upor down when I knowthe destination to where, items arebeing sent. Please also note I only charge actual costs of postage and packaging with insurance, no more.

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