COMPLIMENTARY COPY
VOL. 43, NO. 16 FRIDAY APRIL 20, 2012
Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
Silver Jubilee Collectibles Find Favor With Collectors On Both Sides Of The Pond
By Amy Gale lizabeth II has been Queen of England for 60 years. Here’s a fact to put that number in perspective: the commemoratives for the Silver Jubilee in 1977 are making their way into antiques and collectibles venues. The plates and cups picked up a few years ago - or, as it turns out, 35 years ago - are now as much a part of the commemoratives market as those made early in her reign, for the Coronation in 1953, and the Prince of Wales’ investiture in 1969. The silver jubilee commemorated the twenty-fifth anniver-
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paperback edition” of his handbook, Coronation Souvenirs and Commemoratives. But he did add, elsewhere in the book, that the jubilee was something to celebrate
older is not always more valuable. It typically sells for more than the banal coronation model that was made in an edition of 1,000. Coalport also drew on tradition to honor their reserved and dependable sovereign. Their jubilee line included a white and gold covered vase decorated with a view of
Some of the best Jubilee commemoratives relate to drinking. Here are two goblets by Aurum, sold at Christies, London, July 13, 2006, lot 111, $698).
sary of the queen’s accession to the throne, in 1952. It was the royal celebration of the decade. There had been minor events - the queen and Prince Philip had celebrated their silver wedding anniversary in 1972, and their daughter, Princess Anne, was married in 1973 but the jubilee was the big one. It was also the last important royal event before the Prince of Wales’ marriage to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. The jubilee was not, however, merely a practice run for the St. Paul’s show. For commemorative makers, it was the biggest thing to happen since preWorld War II days. Postwar rationing was in effect when Elizabeth and Philip married in 1947. Things were not really back to normal at the time of the coronation six years later. The jubilee gave a boost to the British potteries and other manufacturers, who were, with few exceptions, in the dumps. Commemoratives began showing up at British trade shows the year before the big event. Rare was the firm that did not produce at least one jubilee piece. David Rodgers, a specialist in royal commemoratives, was sarcastic about the slew of jubilee aprons, lighters, and crystal cameos. There was even a jubilee Bible. His remarks were published in the “jubilee
eggs” (the trade term) includes one for the queen’s jubilee: a textured gilt shell opens up to reveal a crown mounted on a prong. Serious collectors, take note: There is also a silver version. Many of the best designs relate to drinking. Regal crown-shaped bottle coasters by Mappin and Webb occasionally pass through the saleroom. To toast Her Majesty’s long reign, Aurum (another English silversmith) made a goblet with a lion-form stem; a pair sold a few years ago for $698. The late 1970s w e r e
“Among the big attractions for Americans was Jubilee England,” reported the New York Times at the end of the summer. The big-ticket pieces will, surely, start to circulate through American salerooms in the coming years. So far, though, the home market is dominated by the easily portable. The millefiore paperweight by Whitefriars is characteristic of the sort of thing tourists were hauling home in their hard-shell Samsonite suitcases. The paperweight is made of hand-cut class and ornamented with a crown surmounting the letters “E” and “R” and the dates “1952” and “1977.” Another national market trait: Wedgwood Jasperware. The American taste for white basrelief decoration on blue stoneware is evident in the many group lots of small dishes and boxes. Judging by online listings, though, what Americans bought in great numbers were the mugs.
The Royal Doulton loving cup, a tradition in royal commemoratives (Bonham’s Auctioneers, Chester, August 16, 2011, $205).
financially trying times in Great Britain.
Wedgwood jasperware is a favorite with American collectors (Skinner, Bolton, April 25, 2003, $59).
at a time when causes for celebration were not numerous. The pre-Diana royal family was less sensational. The tabloids had to make due with small scandals, like the parking tickets of the younger royals. In this light, the old-fashioned commemoratives seemed the most appropriate to create. The production of Royal Doulton is representative. For Elizabeth’s jubilee, they made a loving cup, in an edition of 250, that was closely inspired by the 1930s models. The price was $435. The jubilee loving cup is proof that
A Moorcroft plate sold with a second, unrelated object (Stair, Hudson, May 22, 2004, $144).
Sandringham, the queen’s Norfolk house. It was made in an edition of 200. There are, to be sure, some jubilee curiosities floating around the market. Wedgwood, usually a sure hand at this sort of thing, released a line of amethyst glass wares embellished with jasper discs. At auction, they sell - when they do sell - for less than $50. No less eccentric is the contribution of Stuart Devlin, the Australian silversmith. His repertoire of “surprise
Manufacturers were, no doubt, counting on the Americans to come through. The Aurum goblets, for example, were made in an edition of 750 - a number that presumed a vital foreign market. They were expecting us. “You’ve had your celebration, America. Now it’s our turn” was the promotional slogan for British Airways in the postBicentennial year of 1977. With the dollar less weak, Americans traveled abroad in increased numbers.
There are dozens for sale. With prices rarely surpassing the tendollar mark, never buy anything in less than pristine condition. They are so inexpensive that the cost of shipping can exceed the price. The mass-market mugs typically have a portrait of the queen, together with the royal standard and coat of arms. There are also coin boxes. Because it was a time of rampant inflation they can be classed with the ornamental wares. Especially striking is the Adams model, which has a hexagonal form and bold red and blue decoration. The following year, in 1978, manufacturers sought to repeat their success by issuing new commemoratives for the 25th coronation anniversary. The wares are recognizable by the dates 1953 and 1978, and the coronation coach motif. This follow-up silver jubilee reflects the increased number of royal events and anniversaries that are observed, officially and commercially. In fact, Elizabeth II is only the second English monarch to celebrate a silver jubilee, although many more have reigned for at least 25 years. Her grandfather George V was the first to mark the milestone in 1935.
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