The Tichborne Celebrities 925 Sterling 12-piece Silver Spoon Set

 The Tichborne Celebrities 925 Sterling 12-piece Silver Spoon Set

 “A scale replica set of the Tichborne Celebrities, probably the most famous of all English spoon sets, originally made by William Cawdell in 1592 (Kent, London Silver spoon makers). The set was produced in 1977 by the Heritage Collection of Bristol, commemorating the Silver Jubilee, in a limited edition of 5000 (this set is no 1355).

The sets sold for GBP 250 in 1977, with a royalty paid to the Hampshire County Museum, who bought the original set at Christies in 1975 for GBP 85000. The spoons are sterling silver with gilt finials, and each spoon is hallmarked with 5 marks - makers device, STG (sterling), antelope head (South Africa), date letter D and set number (in this case 1355)

The spoons are good quality, with very detailed finials, and each is engraved with its name, as per the originals. The set comes in original box, complete with signed certificate with information on each "celebrity". The set comprises of the "9 Worthies" of medieval folklore - the Three Jews (Joshua, King David, Judas Maccabeus), Three Pagans (Julius Caesar, Hector of Troy, Alexander the Great), and Three Christians (King Arthur, Guy of Warwick, Charlemagne) and is completed by Christ, St Peter and Queen Elizabeth I (who was on the throne when the original spoons were made).

The original spoons were presented to Sir Robert Tichborne in 1656, when he was Lord Mayor of London. He was one of the judges who signed the death warrant of King Charles I.”

The spoons are approx. 12 centimetres long and weigh between 20.5 and 24 grams each.