British Historical Memorabilia

An original edition of the Coronation Souvenir Book of King Gorge VI 1937 by Gordon Beckles, Published by Daily Express Publication, London, 1937 This edition was published to mark ...

Early 20th century English Enamel Equestrian Silver Flask Unidentified Maker England; early 20th century Silver, enamel Approximate size: 6 (h) x 3 (w) x 1.25 (d) in. Crafted in E...

We offer you the chance of buying this breathtaking, rare Jaguar XK 120 which had its first road legal in february 1950. There has been built only a very little number of these cars,...

19th Century Hand Carved Masonic Gavel A rare example of a 19th Century hand carved masonic gavel. With some amazing detail across all this artifact. Inscribed LA at the top with ...

A rare and very interesting antique Georgian bronze medallion cased set of printed discs titled CHRONOLOGY OF THE SOVEREIGNS OF ENGLAND and believed to have been produced around 1815...

This is an antique decorative truncheon. A Scottish, beech Edinburgh police baton with handpainted detail, dating to the Victorian period, circa 1850. Fa...

A scarce and sought after country-of-origin poster for the first release of the first James Bond film. Based on Ian Fleming's novel of the same name, the 1962 release of 'Dr. No' fir...

A charming set of three boxed coin shaped medallions celebrating the silver jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. The medallions of rounded shape are each contained in a turned boxwood ...

A very rare unique example of British late Victorian 19th century Ivory and rosewood walking stick/cane. Carved Ivory clenched fist holding a r...

A Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Coronation Mug by Richard Guyatt for Wedgwood Sold Individually, Three Coronation Mugs available England, Circa 1953...

An authentic WWI-era Princess Mary box of brass. A stamped brass box, circa 1914, given as a thank you gift to all commissioned British troops at ...

English oil on canvas portrait dating from the late 1700s painted in the manor of Joshua Reynolds. We believe the giltwood frame could be the original as it is right for the period. ...

For your consideration is this superbly stylish and rare 1930s Art Deco pyramid box bag, a beautiful design. I can't sing the praises of this bag enough, it's an absolute delight. Th...

A working British marching or sighting compass of brass with original leather case from World War I - made for military and civilian use. A handsome piece of militaria and a fine me...

Small blue and white decorative plate or saucer by Jonson Brothers. Circular in shape with pinched edges, this plate depicts a scene of Carisbrooke Castle England in 1792.

18th century English noblewoman in a gold gilt ornate period frame. Lovely detail and color, coat of arms in corner. Unsigned. Without the frame the painting itself measures 29 inche...

Early 20th century London News advertising figure We share what we love, and we love this rare example of a first quarter English London News advertising figure in the form of a beefeater. Produced by Pytram Limited of New Malden Surrey England. This figure is made of composite form and would have sat on the shop counter. A rare example in this condition and size. unusual fully articulated Edwardian prosthetic leg...

For your consideration is the original Art Deco leather handbag. The chrome frame with an etched geometric design handle is stunning and with a leather frill along the edge really se...

A rare set of stamps celebrating Princess Diana 1961 - 1997 Issued by Royal Mail 1998 The unusual thing about this set is that they haven't been " stamped " Unused. near mint con...

Presented is a signed handwritten note by the famous British naval commander, Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. Nelson was a British naval commander and national hero, famous for his...

Leather motorcycle boots. The boots are in great condition with rubber soles fitted on to the leather. Possibly a size 8 or 9. The boots are stamped...

This is an antique Calvary officer's field boot jack. An English, oak and brass campaign shoe pull with tools, dating to the Georgian period, circa 1800. Fascinating boot aid, ideal...

This antique Victorian knife cleaning and sharpening machine was made by Kent's of London England in circa 1880 in the period Victorian style. The machine is composed of two sharpening stones...

A Rare and Historic 1859 Elkington Silvered Bronze Victorian Centerpiece with Cut-Glass Bowl. Presenting a magnificent Victorian silvered bronze centerpiece of unmatched rarity and importance, crafted by the renowned Elkington Mason & Co., Birmingham, in 1859. This exceptional work, complete with its original cut-glass bowl, epitomizes 19th-century British craftsmanship and artistry. Hallmarked to the base, this centerpiece showcases intricate sculptural details, embodying a high level of technical prowess and aesthetic refinement characteristic of Elkington's celebrated works. The centerpiece's striking design features three meticulously rendered figures—a young hunter, a friar, and a fishmonger—each embodying elements of Victorian life and industry. At their feet, a loyal spaniel and various game highlight the naturalistic approach to the composition, enhanced by the masterful chasing and dynamic form. This sculptural ensemble rests on an elaborately decorated base, exuding both grandeur and narrative depth. Adding profound historical value are two engraved plaques. The first, dated “January 28, 1859,” reads: “Presented to William Johnson Esq. as a token of respect & esteem by the workpeople in the employ of Messrs Richard Johnson & Brother, Manchester.” The second, an inscription from 1941, states: “Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers, Alias Wire Workers of the City of London, Presented by Arthur Laurence Johnson M.A., Grandson of William Johnson, both Wire Workers, with his Daughter Eleanor Morton Johnson, a Freeman of the Company, to commemorate his Mastership 1941-42.” These inscriptions chart a rich lineage, connecting the Johnson family to pivotal moments in industrial history. William Johnson, alongside his brother Richard, assumed leadership of a wire-drawing firm in 1838, which would later become Richard Johnson & Nephew Ltd. Their contributions included providing galvanized armored wire for the historic 1857 transatlantic telegraph cable...

Frank Brangwyn. An important armchair. Brangwyn's last interior designs were for the Canadian Pacific Liner; 'The SS Empress of Britain', which was launched in 1931 by the Prince of Wales, later to be King Edward VIII who renounced his throne to marry Wallis Simpson in 1930. These armchairs were designed for the 1st class dining room; 'The Salle Jacque Cartier' (see last image) and they were made by H.H. Martyn and Co. Cheltenham. The 1st class dining room was described in the Bulletin of The Decorative Arts Society 1890-1940 as 'In the fully fledge modern restaurant and cinema style of the 1930s'. The Studio in a long article on the liner, discusses and illustrates Brangwyn's Salle Jacques Cartier: 'So architectural it is, so true proportion, so devoid of Extraneous ornament. In contrast to this austerity of line, hue and colour, his great wall paintings are rich in colour; composed in the bold, yet intricate pattern of figure, fruit and flowers that characterizes Mr Brangwyn's decorative works'. Tragically the liner was sunk in 1940 by a U-boat. Brangwyn also designed marquetry panels for the private dining rooms and they were executed by the Rowley Gallery, he also designed a frieze carved in wood for their gallery façade in 1936. The armchair has a central under bar below the seat which still has the original bolt and eye to secure the chain to and then to the floor, that would prevent all the chairs from sliding around in stormy weather. It is lacking ivorene numbered disc which would have sat in the very top of the head rail. In October 1940 the most famous of the Canadian Pacific Railway liners and flagship of the company's Atlantic Fleet, the Empress of Britain, was attacked and sunk. She was travelling to Glasgow from Suez via South Africa, where she was bombed near the north-west coast of Ireland by a German Focke Wulf Condor plane. When the Condor attacked the Empress of Britain the ship's crew couldn't shoot the plane down and soon the Empress was burning out of control and the Captain C.H. Sapsworth gave the order to abandon ship. 45 people died and the remaining survivors including women and children, were later rescued that day by the British destroyer HMS Echo and the Polish destroyer Burza and 3 British naval trawlers Paynter, Cape Agona and Drangey. The Empress still burning managed to stay afloat and the day after 2 Royal Navy tugs, Marauder and Thames tried to tow her into port with many escort ships around her but in spite of the protection she was given from the escort ships on October 28th, a German U-boat, U-32, managed to get by the escorts un-noticed and torpedoed the crippled Empress. She sank within ten minutes. The Empress of Britain was the largest Allied passenger liner to be sunk and weighing 42,348-tons she was the biggest merchant ship loss of the war. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth had travelled aboard Empress of Britain after their 1939 Royal Tour...

A very good antique Greek Revival cast iron kylix, by the celebrated sculptor Edward William Wyon (1811-1885), for the Great Exhibition at Crysta...

A WWII ship's bell from the Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Queen of Thanet, dated 1941. Pendant number J-30. Diameter: 27cm - 10 ½ inches. Height: 28 cm - 11 inches. HMS Queen of Thanet (J30), formerly HMS Melton, was a Racecourse-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. She was built by William Hamilton & Company in Port Glasgow, Scotland. Melton was launched in March 1916 with the pennant number 898. During World War I she served with the Auxiliary Patrol. Post-war she was transferred to the Mine Clearance Service. Between the wars Melton was sold to Hughes Bolckow Shipbreaking Co in 1927. She was bought by The New Medway Steam Packet Company in 1929 and converted for excursion work on the River Medway and River Thames. She was renamed Queen of Thanet. For the next twelve years she could be found working from Sheerness and Southend. Regular excursions took her to Gravesend, Margate, Clacton and Dover as well as cross-channel voyages to Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk. In September 1939 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty for minesweeping duties once more and commissioned as HMS Queen of Thanet, pennant number J30. In May 1940 she took part in the Dunkirk evacuation rescuing 4,000 men in four trips. Of that number, 2,000 were transferred from the ex-LNER steamer Prague, after the latter had been damaged by near misses from shells and dive bombers off Gravelines. For Operation Overlord in June 1944 she was stationed at Selsey as the Mulberry Despatch Control Ship. After the war she was returned in 1946 to her owners to recommence excursion work around the Thames Estuary. In January 1949 she was sold to Red Funnel and transferred to Southampton. After refitting at Thorneycroft's yard at Northam she was commissioned in the spring as the company's second Solent Queen. For the next two years she operated excursions from Southampton in the summer. In June 1951 while slipped for survey and repair, she caught fire and was written off as a constructive loss. She was scrapped by Dover Industries Ltd at Dover Eastern Docks in 1951 Literature on HMS Queen of Thanet see: Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships...

For sale a very rare early 19th century infants coffin carrier, this would of been housed on a horse and cart hearse. The casket has a decorative wrought...

Antique Brass Fox Head Walking Stick, Glass Eyes, Glove Ring Offered for sale is an antique Victorian brass fox-head walking stick with a brass glove ho...

Unusual antique two-handled silver trophy cup with cast and hand chased detail including a cavalry horse riding scene depicting a competition of horsemanship inside an arena. There i...

This late 19th-century English leather top hat box, paired with an American-made beaver fur top hat, exudes timeless craftsmanship and style. The b...

A rare British quad poster for the first UK release of Walt Disney's 1954 live-action sci-fi adventure '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea', based on the 1870 novel by Jules Verne. From th...

Hallmarked in Birmingham in 1836 by Edwin Jones, this handsome, Antique Sterling Silver Snuff Box, features a cast and applied border to the lid, engine turn...

A large screenprinted UK promotional poster issued by Virgin Records to promote the October 1977 release of the Sex Pistols only studio album 'Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's the Sex...

Antique 19th century Victorian freight truck used to transport feed to local dairies, this metal carriage has a solid oak top, original wheels and tilt lever, later sign written for ...

Original British film poster for the 1966 French Science fiction film Fahrenheit 451. This film Starred Oskar Werner, Julie Christie and Cyril Cusack and directed by Francois Truffau...

Fourteen black Bakelite Burroughs Wellcome & Co of London medicine bottles. Medicine bottles like these where used on the British Terra Nova Antarctic...

A scarce promotional poster issued by Virgin Records in support of the Sex Pistols' third single 'Pretty Vacant,' released in July 1977 from their only studio album 'Never Mind The B...

For your consideration is this superbly stylish 1930s vintage leather and chrome trim ladies handbag, the size and color are an absolute dream, ...

A rare vintage colour model 356 telephone manufactured by Siemens Brothers & Co Ltd in 1954 for the Post Office. The phone has got a removable tray for storing your local dialing co...

A fine presentation sword given to Lieutenant Charles Peake as a token of gratitude by the Men of His Ship when recommissioned for Foreign Service i...

Antique 19th Century collection of seven dog collars, made from leather and metal. Some collars have metal studs and chains while others are smooth leather. A superb piece of history...

Exceptional large carved wood crest representing the British Royal family. Beautiful patina, original painted finish.

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique 18th century Irish sterling silver cup; an addition to our 17th century silverware collection This e...

This silver presentation vase is a small replica of the classical Roman ‘Warwick Vase’. The body is cast and chased with fruiting vines below the rim. The central field has a continuous band with bearded Bacchic heads floating above a lion’s mask and pelt. The applied handles comprise gnarled twisted vine stems. The spreading stem is set on a square foot which in turn sits on an ebonised wooden plinth base. The plinth is applied with two vacant laurel wreath cartouches and two rectangular plaques, one finely engraved with the Royal Coat of Arms and the other inscribed “Plymouth, Devonport and Cornwall Races 1845, the gift of her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, Augustus Coryton Esqr, W. R. Fortescue Esqr, Stewards” and “Her Majesty’s Vase, value 100gs., for three-year-old and upwards – Heats, about two miles, starting at the T.Y.C. Starting-post, once round, to the Grand Stand Winning-post.” Fully marked and stamped on the side of the foot ‘Hunt & Roskell Late Storr & Mortimer 2225’. English, assayed for London 1845. Provenance: Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Sir John Barker-Mill, Baronet of Mottisfont.Thence by descent. John Barker (1803-1860) was created 1st Baronet ‘of Mottisfont in the County of Southampton’ on 16 March 1836. A noted racehorse owner, Barker won numerous prestigious trophies with Giantess, Cymba, Miss Ellis and Pugilist. His most prestigious horse, Leviathan, sire of Giantess, won 16 of 21 starts and was sold to George IV for 2,000 guineas. Plymouth, Devonport and Cornwall Races were held from 1828 until 1930. The racecourse was a flat, oval course of 12 furlongs with a straight run-in of 2 ½ furlongs. ‘Royal Plates...

This Royal Automobile Club Associate car badge was made by the Patent Die Assoc. Co. of London in presumably 1929 in London England in the period...

This pair of early Victorian three-stage bronze signal cannon are set on elm carriages with bronze fittings. Each 39 inch tapering barrel has one reduction and a ball cascabel. Th...

An extremely rare ring that commemorates the naval hero, Horatio Nelson, who died in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar, fighting against the Napoleonic forces. Dr William Nelson, the admiral's brother, ordered 58 mourning rings for family and friends and every admiral and post-captain who fought at the Battle of Trafalgar . The ring is inscribed on the bezel ‘Trafalgar’; outside the hoop with Nelson’s motto in Latin, ‘Let him who earned it bear the palm [of victory]’, adopted by Nelson from a poem ‘Ad Ventos’ written in 1727 by John Jortin (1698-1770). Inside is the inscription ‘Lost to his country 21 October 1805, aged 47’. The initials N and B stand for Nelson and Bronte. Admiral Nelson was given the title of Duke of Bronte in 1799 by the King of Sicily and in 1801 became a Viscount. The two coronets above the initials refer to these titles. Tthe motto Palmam qui meruit ferat ("let him who has earned it, bear the palm") was added to his coat of arms in 1798 after the Battle of the Nile. Nelson was buried with full honours in St Paul's Cathedral. His cortege consisted of 32 admirals, over a hundred captains, and an escort of 10,000 soldiers. This ring is an example of only fifty-eight that were made by Nelson's jeweller John Salter in 1806. Thirty-one were for Nelson's close family and friends, the rest for pall-bearers and other dignitaries (see The Nelson Dispatch, vol.3 pt.XII, oct.1990). Three similar examples of this ring are held extremely prestigious museums in the capital. One is in the Greenwich National Maritime Museum in London, another in The British Museum in London and another in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, exhibited in the Jewellery Gallery, case 23, no. 8. The ring has a particularly special provenance, arguably like no other mourning ring of Admiral Nelson’s. The ring belonged to the Reverend Alexander John Scott. The Reverend Alexander John Scott (1768-1840) was a British naval chaplain. He was appointed to the flagship H.M.S. Victory in 1803 where he served as private secretary to Lord Nelson. He was with Nelson when when he was shot on the quarter-deck of the Victory at the battle of Trafalgar on the 21st October 1805. Scott attended his dying chief in the cockpit of the flagship, receiving his last wishes. He refused to leave Nelson's body until it was brought back to England and placed in the coffin to lie in the Painted Hall Greenwich. The ring, lock of hair and music book were passed down by the direct descendants of the Reverend Alexander John Scott's family and eventually gifted to the previous owners. The music book was a personal possession of the Reverend which gives watertight provenance of the person who owned the ring. It is not clear exactly what Admiral Nelson’s last words really were although Scott documents Nelson’s last words to be “God and my country“. However, it is also recorded that a statement during his last hours was "Thank God I have done my duty.” Perhaps these two statements uttered in the last moments sound similar when mumbled by a feeble dying man. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy is that Scott remained by Admiral Nelson’s side as he died and his version is probably the most reliable. The lock of hair is reputedly that of Lord Admiral Nelson. Without a DNA test there can be no conclusive proof of such. However, given that Reverend Alexander John Scott was with Nelson from the moment he was shot on the quarter-deck of H.M.S. Victory until the moment he was placed in his coffin, there is no reason to believe it is not a lock of Nelson’s hair. It is difficult to overstate the significance and rarity of Nelson’s mourning rings. With only fifty-eight made, the vast majority of them were given to close family members and only a few were given to close friends. A close friend who receives a morning ring...

An Oriental Toothpaste pot, Staffordshire, England, circa 1880. Transfer printed in black on a creamy white earthenware, the base and the sides of the lid are printed in a pattern o...

A Rare case of antique valuable royal sterling silver Spoon. An elegant Vintage Sterling Silver Spoon case. Celebrating the 1977 Coronation Jubilee of Quee...

19th Century copy of 18th century portrait of Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford, (born 1661, London, died 1724, London). He was a British statesman who headed the Tory ministry from ...

A rather curios Victorian diorama of "Jacko" the ratter c.1850, a plaster model of a terrier presented in a period glass dome mounted with its original ebonised stand. Jacko is mounted on a purple velvet cushion with gold threaded decoration. Mounted between his feet is a circular silver medal, the obverse inscribed 'In memory of Jacko, the Champion Terrier 14 lb Weight', the reserve inscribed 'Presentation Medal to Canine Fancier and M.P.R. Jemmy Shaw London 1852', The diorama came from the collection of Jack Webb (1923-2019), London. Jemmy Elton Shaw, also known as Jimm and James was a 19th century pioneer fancier of the early dog show days, a promoter of dog fighting and rat-baiting contests, a breeder of Old English bulldogs, bull terriers and toy terriers...

Considered the first step into the world of modern photocopying, the copying machine was among the first widely used devices to successfully produce an ex...

Two one-page letters on Faber & Faber stationery, SIGNED by T. S. Eliot. The first, dated 1 December 1949 is double sided, 10 1/4 x 8 inches (266 x 204 mm) in envelope 4 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches (110 x 133 mm). The second is dated 23 August 1950, one sided, 8 x 6 7.8 inches (204 x 174 mm) in envelope 4 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches (110 x 133 mm). Typed in black and red ink, central vertical and horizontal folds, with no sign of wear. The accompanying envelopes show minor signs of wear and the back flap of the first envelope is partially torn. Fine. These two typewritten letters were addressed to Robert Cecil Bald (1901 – 1965), an Australian scholar of English Literature, who taught at Cornell University starting in 1937 and then at the University of Chicago from 1952 to 1965. They attest to a cordial exchange between a poet and a scholar, and the rich network of contacts that Eliot had both as an author and as the long-time editorial director at Faber & Faber in London (1925-1965). In the first letter, dated 1 December 1949 with a Cornell University address, Eliot declines an offer...

Watercolor painting of cavalry soldier on galloping horse, monogramed. This watercolor painting is executed in a masterful technique. The finest details and bright colors make this artwork a treasure. A military cavalry...

Remarkable in scale and artistry, this George III-style cup and cover was created by the famed London silversmith Hannah Northcote. Set on a circular foot and taking the form of a vase, the cup features two leaf-capped handles and a detachable domed cover crowned with a bud finial. Astounding in craftsmanship given the scarcity of gold at the time of its creation, the sentimental message engraved within the frontal cartouche indicates the prestigious provenance that further distinguishes this cup. Originally commissioned by Robert Peel, the father of 19th century British Prime Minister Robert Peel, the gold cup...

A superb 20th Century pair of vintage blue velvet chairs modelled after the chairs used by peers in Westminster Abbey during Queen Elizabeth's Coronation in 1952. Recreated for her jubilee in 1977, these chairs feature stunning blue velvet upholstery over sturdy wood frames. Crafted by William...

A rare and handsome English Arts & Crafts period miniature oak bureau from the early 20th century with nicely aged patina. Exquisitely hand-crafted in England over a century ago, e...