Headgear

4 Spanish Colonial Coin Silver Santos Crowns, sold For $550

A collection of four antique coin silver Santos or Madonna crowns were sold by Myers Fine Art in St Petersburg, FL for USD550. Three measure 5 1/2" to 4 1/2" high and are of similar form and topped with crosses, the middle size one is hallmarked with an unidentified stamp. The smallest one is jewel set.

The concept of dolls and crowns to adorn them seems a little bizarre today, but when you're conquering the world with your religion, you need all the visual aids you can get. The concept of a crown still being worn by a head of state also seems anachronistic, but whether this spectacle will continue into the reign of the next British monarch is perhaps somewhat doubtful.

Silver belles

I have continued to collect silver from a young age, and these are pieces I liked and thought would be essential kit in everyday living.

The small set of milk and chocolate is Birmingham 1920.

The tea service is Sheffield 1909, in the Georgian style. The water jug doubles as a coffee pot.

Unfortunately as one's lifestyle develops I find I neither drink afternoon tea, nor do I participate in the ritual of inviting friends "for tea". Invitations to drink something in our house revolve around the cocktail hour. But fear not, collecting glass is another passion, so that activity is well-catered for.

The water jug/coffee pot used to be wheeled out more frequently for coffee after dinner, but even that pastime seems to have gone out of vogue, and it's certainly not one I participate in, unless I'm planning a very late night, otherwise my tendency to insomnia gets a huge boost. And who needs that?

And it's not that the silver doesn't get cleaned. I'm in the happy position of having someone to do that with enough regularity that it shines as prettily as it should.

A silver four piece bachelor's coffee service, Richard Comyns, London 1931, in George I style, each piece of baluster, pedestal form, with fretwork detail, comprising a side pouring coffee pot and hot water jug, 18cm high, a sugar bowl, 5cm high, and a cream jug, 7cm high, total weight approximately 35oz (4), sold for GBP320.