Silver salver of a Hero of Trafalgar: Captain Pryce Cumby London, circa 1836

This small oval George III silver salver is raised on four scroll feet with a plain field and curvetto within a triple reed border. The reverse is engraved ‘June 18th 1803 Valentine Munden’s Prize Money when on board the Exeter East Indiaman for the Capture of the French Frigate La Medée.’ Maker’s mark of John Crouch & Thomas Hannam, London 1792. The naval action took place on the 4th of August 1800 off the coast of Brazil. On that morning, the Royal Navy escort, Belliqueux sighted a squadron of French frigates and, giving chase, captured the largest ship La Concorde whilst the East Indiamen, Exeter and Bombay Castle pursued and took the surrender of La Medée. The Coutts and Neptune were unsuccessful in capturing a third frigate La Franchaise, but the action stands out as the only occasion during the Napoleonic Wars when a merchant vessel captured a French ship of war...

Captain Sir George Collier’s presentation silver entree dishes and covers by Richard Cooke, London 1803, each plain rectangular with gadroon borders, covers with detachable vine twist handles, the covers engraved: ‘Presented by the Old Madras Insurance Company to Captn. Collier, Commander of His Majestys Sloop ‘Victor’, for his persevering & gallant conduct in chasing for two days, partially engaging & ultimately sinking the French National Corvette ‘La Fleche’ of superior force while advantageously anchored at the Mahé Islands.’ Dimensions approx.: 150 x 290 x 200mm / 6 x 11 ½ x 8 inches Total weight approx.: 3513 grams / 112 oz. troy. Footnotes: These silver dishes were presented to Captain Sir George Collier KCB (1774-1824) for destroying the 22-gun French corvette La Flèche whilst commanding Victor, 18 guns, in the Seychelles on 5 September 1801. After escorting troop transports into the Red Sea ahead of the British invasion of Egypt, Victor fell in with La Flèche off Diego Garcia. After an initial engagement, the corvette escaped to windward only to be found again four days later. A short but fierce action ensued during which the corvette caught fire, grounded on a coral reef and sank before a prize crew could secure the ship. As reward, the Admiralty made Collier post captain and gave him command of Leopard, 50 guns. Born in London, Collier entered the Royal Navy in 1784. As a midshipman, he was wrecked off Madagascar in 1792 surviving among the natives of that island for six months before being rescued by a passing Portuguese brig. Unfortunately, the brig was immediately captured by a French privateer and for two more years, Collier was confined as a prisoner of war on Mauritius. Returning to service in 1795, he was given his first command in Suffolk Tender. Following the Peace of Amiens, Collier commanded the Sea Fencibles at Liverpool. After accompanying the expedition to Copenhagen in 1808, for which he was knighted for delivering the admiral’s dispatches, he saw action, and was wounded, supporting the military Campaign in Spain. After the war, Collier was made commodore on the African station where he was employed suppressing the slave trade with such rigour that he was elected an honorary member of the African Institution, founded by William Wilberforce...

Hallmarked in London in 1836 by Hayne & Cater, this attractive, William IV, Antique Sterling Silver Salver, stands on three shell feet, and features a shell and scroll border, and fl...

Hallmarked in London in 1922 by Arthur Bowe trading as Noble & Co., this attractive pair of George V, sterling silver Rimonim have ornate lattice work throughout the bodies and featu...