Dr Bernard Johnson was elected on December the 6th December 1952 as the Faculty's first honorary Fellow. At the time, Johnson was the Dean of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Surgeons, England. He was invited to visit Australia to receive his award and in 1953 Johnson received his award and brought with him a notable gift being the local Dean's medal of office which was presented on behalf of the Royal College of Surgeons. Johnson had previously met with Ivan Jose and H.J. Daly by providing advice for the establishment of an Australasian Faculty. Johnson is a significant figure as a pioneer into intravenous anaesthesia into Great Britain. He then turned his attention to improving dental anaesthesia. Working with fellow colleagues R R Macintosh and W S McConnell, they established the ‘Mayfair Gas Company’, primarily for dental anaesthesia, but also provided anaesthesia for general surgery during honorary hospital sessions. Johnson participated in the development of the Faculty of Anaesthetists within the Royal College of Surgeons. A founding member of the Board of Faculty, he served as Vice-Dean and then was the second Dean (1952-5), a role which provided a seat on the council of the RCS England. A 9 carat gold [375] oval shaped Dean's Medal of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons secured onto a red coloured woven tape by two large gold links. Obverse depicts in coloured enamel secured onto base the RACS coat of arms and crest. Engraved around the sunken diameter are the Faculty and College names. The reverse side has the presentation details inscribed onto a plaque secured onto the main piece with three rivets with hallmarks on both the message plaque and the outer rim. The original red leather box is in poor condition. Printed on the inside silk cover are the maker's marks.[obverse] THE FACULTY OF ANAESTHETISTS / ROYAL AUSTRALASIAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS [reverse] PRESENTED / BY THE DEAN / DR BERNARD JOHNSON / ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF / THE FACULTY OF ANAESTHETISTS / OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF / SURGEONS OF ENGLAND / AT THE INAUGURAL MEETING / 17th APRIL 1953 [hallmarks on reverse] GAS CO LTD 9 375 R Edinburgh? [black print on inside box cover] By appointment silversmiths to / THE LATE KING / GEORGE VI / THE [goldsmith's logo] / GOLDSMITHS & SILVERSMITHS / COMPANY LTD / CROWN JEWELLERS / incorporating GARRARD & CO / 112 REGENT STREET, LONDON W. I.dean medal, mayfair gas company, rcs england, johnson, bernard

Golden Square State School collection, Bendigo Advertiser Shield for Bendigo Competitions School Choir Contest Section B Grade VIII & Under (Under 14 Years) finally won by Golden Square. Wooden shield with attached metal badges depicting winning schools, a ribbon with Bendigo Advertiser name and a central enamelled Lyre surrounded by a green laurel wreath, small ivory name plate at bottom reading Prescott & Dawe Silversmiths Bendigo.Prescott & Dawe Silversmiths Bendigotrophies & awards, public events, music

This is a trophy given to a Warrnambool Football Association by Harry Pritchard. He was a Warrnambool businessman who had the Warrnambool Sports Depot store in Kepler Street in the 1920s. The trophy was for the winner of the Warrnambool Wards Football Association. This was a Junior Association promoted by the Warrnambool Football Club and it existed from 1924 to 1930. It was proposed that the four Council Wards, Hopkins, Victoria, Albert and Merri each had a football team but it is not clear if all had teams and how many teams from other areas took part in the competition. The Pritchard Cup records that the Hopkins Ward Football Team won the trophy in 1926 and that Allansford, a team outside of the four wards, won in 1927. The records of the Allansford Football Club go back to the 1890s. This cup is of considerable interest, firstly as an attractive trophy in its own right and secondly as a memento of a football association connected with the Warrnambool Council Wards. Both the Council Wards structure and the Wards football association no longer exist. This is a silver cup with two ornamental handles, a slender stem and a silver base. The cup has a lid with a knob in the middle. The cup, lid and base are all heavily etched and patterned with scrolls, leaves and flowers. There is an inscription on one side of the cup. The cup sits on a circular brown wooden base which has a cloth or paste mixture affixed to the bottom. The wooden section has two silver plaques with inscriptions. There is a small piece of wood missing on the side of the top of the mount. ‘The Pritchard Cup presented to Warrnambool Ward’s (sic) Football Association by H. Pritchard.’ ‘Won by Hopkins Ward Football Club Season 1926’ ‘Won by Allansford Football Club Season 1927’ football in warrnambool district, harry pritchard, warrnambool 1920s, history of warrnambool

Anglo-Indian Pamela "Pam" McCarthy was struck by polio in 1945 at age 11 In addition to her becoming a singer, she also competed at a variety of sporting meets for the disabled.Grey plastic case containing gold coloured medal.Medal contains text - 1963 Victorian Paraplegic Games - Class B Women's 25 metres - 1st Crawl - Pam McCarthy The lid on the case is inscribed with the word "TROPHY" and a laurel wreath. The bottom of the case is inscribed with "Casecraft. CAT. No 102". The interior of the case includes he text "Stokes (Australia) Limited - medallists and silversmtihs est. 1855:.pamela mccarthy, victorian paraplegic games

Anglo-Indian Pamela "Pam" McCarthy was struck by polio in 1945 at age 11 In addition to her becoming a singer, she also competed at a variety of sporting meets for the disabled.Gold medal from 1963 Victorian Paraplegic Games.Front - 1963 Victorian Paraplegic Games - Class B Women's 25 metres - 1st Crawl - Pam McCarthy Reverse - engraving of swimmers competitingpamela mccarthy, victorian paraplegic games

Kevin Richard Coombs, OAM (born 30 May 1941) is an Australian wheelchair basketballer and athlete who competed at 5 Paralympics including the first Paralympic Games in 1960. He was the first Australian Aboriginal Paralympic competitor for Australia.Grey plastic case containing silver coloured medal.Medal contains text - Australian Paraplegic Games Melbourne 1960 - Kevin Coombs, Javlin [sic] The lid on the case is inscribed with the word "TROPHY" and a laurel wreath. The bottom of the case is inscribed with "Casecraft. CAT. No 102". The interior of the case includes the text "Stokes (Australia) Limited - medallists and silversmtihs est. 1855:.australian paraplegic games, kevin coombs

Kevin Richard Coombs, OAM (born 30 May 1941) is an Australian wheelchair basketballer and athlete who competed at 5 Paralympics including the first Paralympic Games in 1960. He was the first Australian Aboriginal Paralympic competitor for Australia.Silver medal from 1960 Australian Paraplegic Games - Javelin - Kevin Coombs.Front - Australian Paraplegic Games Melbourne 1960 - Javlin [sic] - Kevin Coombs Reverse - engraving of two hands grasping each other, with laurelaustralian paraplegic games, kevin coombs

Kevin Richard Coombs, OAM (born 30 May 1941) is an Australian wheelchair basketballer and athlete who competed at 5 Paralympics including the first Paralympic Games in 1960. He was the first Australian Aboriginal Paralympic competitor for Australia.Grey plastic case containing grey/silver coloured medal.Medal contains text - 4th Australian Paraplegic Games Brisbane 1966 - Kevin Coombs, Basketball The lid on the case is inscribed with the word "TROPHY" and a laurel wreath. The bottom of the case is inscribed with "Casecraft. CAT. No 102". The interior of the case includes the text "Stokes (Australia) Limited - medallists and silversmtihs est. 1855:.australian paraplegic games, kevin coombs

Kevin Richard Coombs, OAM (born 30 May 1941) is an Australian wheelchair basketballer and athlete who competed at 5 Paralympics including the first Paralympic Games in 1960. He was the first Australian Aboriginal Paralympic competitor for Australia.Silver / grey medal medal from 1966 Australian Paraplegic Games.held in BrisbaneFront - 4th Australian Paraplegic Games Brisbane 1966 Reverse - engraving of laurel wreath with "BASKETBALL" within the wreathaustralian paraplegic games

Kevin Richard Coombs, OAM (born 30 May 1941) is an Australian wheelchair basketballer and athlete who competed at 5 Paralympics including the first Paralympic Games in 1960. He was the first Australian Aboriginal Paralympic competitor for Australia.Grey plastic case containing silver coloured medal.Medal contains text - Victorian Paraplegic Games 1963 - Basketball, 2nd, Kevin Coombs The lid on the case is inscribed with the word "TROPHY" and a laurel wreath. The bottom of the case is inscribed with "Casecraft. CAT. No 102". The interior of the case includes the text "Stokes (Australasia) Limited - medallists and silversmtihs est. 1855:.kevin coombs

Kevin Richard Coombs, OAM (born 30 May 1941) is an Australian wheelchair basketballer and athlete who competed at 5 Paralympics including the first Paralympic Games in 1960. He was the first Australian Aboriginal Paralympic competitor for Australia.Silver medal from 1963 Victorian Paraplegic Games.Front - Silver medal from 1963 Australian Paraplegic Games - Basketball - Kevin Coombs Reverse - engraving of two hands grasping each other, with laurelkevin coombs, victorian paraplegic games

Kevin Richard Coombs, OAM (born 30 May 1941) is an Australian wheelchair basketballer and athlete who competed at 5 Paralympics including the first Paralympic Games in 1960. He was the first Australian Aboriginal Paralympic competitor for Australia.Grey plastic case containing gold coloured medal.Medal contains text - Victorian Paraplegic Games 1963 - Shot Putt [sic] - 1st - Kevin Coombs The lid on the case is inscribed with the word "TROPHY" and a laurel wreath. The bottom of the case is inscribed with "Casecraft. CAT. No 102". The interior of the case includes the text "Stokes (Australasia) Limited - medallists and silversmtihs est. 1855:.australian paraplegic games, kevin coombs

Kevin Richard Coombs, OAM (born 30 May 1941) is an Australian wheelchair basketballer and athlete who competed at 5 Paralympics including the first Paralympic Games in 1960. He was the first Australian Aboriginal Paralympic competitor for Australia.Gold medal from 1963 Victorian Paraplegic Games.Front - Gold medal from 1963 Australian Paraplegic Games - Shot Putt [sic] - 1st - Kevin Coombs Reverse - engraving of two hands grasping each other, with laurelkevin coombs, victorian paraplegic games

Vesta cases, also known as match safes, are small boxes that are used to carry matches and keep them safe from the elements. In the early 1800's, it was common to carry matches, since some type of portable fire was needed to light lanterns and stoves. The matches of that day were crude compared to today's standards, and were known to light when making contact with each other, and sometimes even spontaneously. In order to alleviate this potentially hazardous situation, it made good sense to utilize a Vesta case or match safe. One of the more interesting features of the vesta case or match safes is that they almost always include some type of rough or ribbed surface, usually on the bottom of the case that is used for striking the matches. This vesta case is a portable pocket vesta. These cases take their name from the virgin Roman goddess of fire, home, hearth and family. Usually Vesta was depicted as the fire in her temple. Only Vestals (her priestesses) were allowed into her temple. Her association with fire made her name the natural choice for British companies that manufactured matches. The hallmarking of sterling silver is based on a combination of marks that makes possible the identification of origin and age. The town mark identifies the Assay Office where the item was verified. The town mark on this piece is an anchor, so it is from Birmingham, England. The lion passant certifies the silver quality, as at least 925. The maker's mark, identifying the silversmith presenting the piece to the assay office is D&LS for David and Lionel Spiers. The date letter identifies the year the piece was verified, this item was verified in 1885. Lionel Spiers was a significant figure in the Jewellery Quarter and in 1906 was chairman of the Jewellers and Silversmiths Association. The item also has NHILL 1928 engraved on the front, this is likely a recent addition to the piece. Nhill is a town in Victoria so it could be that the previous owner lived here or it was gifted in commemoration. The social history objects held in the Burke Museum's collection help to tell the stories of Beechworth's past by showing the social, cultural, and economic aspects of the town's history.Silver vesta case with ribbed strike plate at the end and an etched design. D&LS/ lion symbol/ anchor symbol/ l/ Sovereign head/ [hallmarks] CHH/ NHILL 1928/ [obverse inscription] A01198/burke museum, silver, vesta, fire, silversmiths

This item is from a collection donated by descendants of John Francis Turner of Wodonga. Mr Turner was born on 6 June 1885. He completed all of his schooling at Scots Boarding School in Albury, New South Wales. On leaving school, he was employed at Dalgety’s, Albury as an auctioneer. In 1924 John was promoted to Manager of the Wodonga Branch of Dalgety’s. On 15/03/1900 he married Beatrice Neal (born 7/12/1887 and died 7/2/1953) from Collingwood, Victoria. They had four daughters – Frances (Nancy), Heather, Jessie and Mary. In 1920, the family moved from Albury to Wodonga, purchasing their family home “Locherbie” at 169 High Street, Wodonga. "Locherbie" still stands in Wodonga in 2022. The collection contains items used by the Turner family during their life in Wodonga. Rodd was an Australian company which was established in Melbourne by George Rodd in 1919. The early name of the company was G & E Rodd, and it made a large selection of jewellery and flatware. By the late 1930's they had become the leading manufacturing jewellers in Australia. Their items were marked with their trade name Apex. When the firm became a public company in 1948 the marking of their wares was changed to Rodd. The company became well known for its high-quality flatware or cutlery. This determines the provenance of this spoon as being c1950..A silver sugar spoon produced by Rodd, Silversmiths from Melbourne, Victoria. The mark of Rodd is on the back of the shaft of the spoon.On back of spoon: "RODD 18 - 8"domestic items, silverware

From attached paperwork: 2 medals awarded to Doreen Hooley by the London college Music for Pianoforte Playing 1924 and 1927. Housed in black boxes with blue velvet lining. Marked JA Restall Jeweller Silversmith and Medallist 82 Cambridge St. Birmingham. Doreen St Clair Hooley b Eaglehawk 1912 Father Chas Wood Hooley Mother Margt Helena McMahon Reg No 29117. Married Anthony Taylor Mutton 1940 Reg No 3223. See The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) http://nla.gov.au/nlanews-page440306 Doreen Hooley Music Award: Medal awarded by the London College of Music for piano playing 1924 Medal encased in blue velvet in square box. Medal is circular with personalised inscription and musical instruments on front. The words "London College Music" and an image of a female kneeling are on the back of the medal. The inside cover of the box has printed "J.A.Restall Jeweller Silversmith and Medallist 82 Cambridge St. Birmingham". Medal is attached to blue velvet within the box by a metal loop. The box has a metal rod and hook fastener to open and close.medals, music, piano, london college of music, restall jeweller

From attached paperwork: 2 medals awarded to Doreen Hooley by the London college Music for Pianoforte Playing 1924 and 1927. Housed in black boxes with blue velvet lining. Marked JA Restall Jeweller Silversmith and Medallist 82 Cambridge St. Birmingham. Doreen St Clair Hooley b Eaglehawk 1912 Father Chas Wood Hooley Mother Margt Helena McMahon Reg No 29117. Married Anthony Taylor Mutton 1940 Reg No 3223. See The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) http://nla.gov.au/nlanews-page440306 Doreen Hooley Music Award: Medal awarded by the London College of Music for piano playing 1927. Medal encased in blue velvet in square box. Medal is circular with the words "London College Music" and an image of a female kneeling on front. There is a personalised inscription and musical on the back of the medal. The inside cover of the box has printed "J.A.Restall Jeweller Silversmith and Medallist 82 Cambridge St. Birmingham". Medal is attached to a faded ribbon with fancy metal scroll at the top and bottom of the ribbon. The top metal scroll is attached to blue velvet within the box. The box has a metal rod and hook fastener to open and close.medals, music, piano, london college of music, restall jeweller

Donated by Margaret Scarlett. Sally Button has dated it to 1830 William 1VSterling silver serving spoon, initialled on handle in script J S H William 1V, 1830. Maker RB - not listed as a major silversmith. (see also NA3126)R Bdomestic items, cutlery

Decorative object made by silversmith Ernest Leviny.Silver mounted emu egg goblet with detachable silver lid decorated with a kneeling Aboriginal figure holding weapons (spear is missing). Emu egg is mounted on a silver base with filigree acanthus leaf designwork on the stem, leading to four sprays on the egg surface with a rose, thistle and shamrock design. The inner egg is lined with a gold wash.Noneernest leviny, silversmithing, colonial silverware, castlemaine, emu egg goblet, buda, c 1859

Martin Crane was the first Bishop of Sandhurst. 1874 - 1901. The knife was probably a gift and is engraved on the front with his name. Martin Crane was a progressive leader in Sandhurst and built many new schools and churches in the Diocese. The knife is significant because it belonged to the first Bishop of Sandhurst, Martin Crane. Irish born Crane was an Augustinian priest before being ordained in 1874. Crane was Bishop of Sandhurst for 27 years. Elaborately engraved sterling silver knife. Floral, leafy design. Probably a cheese or butter knife. The handle sits 90 degrees to the knife blade. This a part of a cutlery set. Bishop. M. Crane. Engraved on the front of knife. Silversmith's name/symbol engraved on the back of knife blade. Sterling. P??? engraved on the back of knife blade. knife, silverplate, cutlery, catholic clergy

Prescott & Dawe, manufacturing jewellers and silversmiths, cnr Mitchell & Hargreaves Streets, Bendigo. Bi-fold business flyer for rings, watches, clocks and silverware and crystalware. Printed on pale-yellow paper with blue printing.jewellers business flyer, jewellery, crystal, clocks, prescott & dawe

On Friday 5 August 1859, the steamship, Admella, left Adelaide bound for Melbourne. IT carried 82 passengers, a crew of 31 and 4 racehorses. he Admella was a 395 ton screw steamer built at Port Glasgow, Scotland in 1857. Her name is said to be derived from the ports she served - Adelaide, Melbourne and Launceston. It took her 42 hours to travel between Adelaide and Melbourne, usually stopping at Portland, Port Fairy and Warrnambool, making her the fastest ship to travel this route. The Admella’s final journey was her 36th voyage. Admella had been built with watertight bulkheads, riveted to the hull. These were designed as a special safety feature, but when the ship grounded on Carpenters Rocks it took only 15 minutes for the hull to break in three along the rivet lines. Many people were drowned immediately, and six horses stabled on deck tried to swim to shore. At least one of them made it alive. On Saturday August 6 1859, at 5am, Admella struck a reef. The three onboard lifeboats were washed away as were the four cork lifebelts kept on deck. Rubber lifebelts kept below deck were instantly lost. Cape Northumberland Lighthouse near Port McDonnell was about 24 km away so Captain McEwan ordered rocket flares to be fired to gain attention. However, all the ship’s rockets were damp. Only one ignited but soon fizzled out. The Captain attempted to make a raft but was unsuccessful and nearly drowned in the process. The ship was only about a kilometre from shore, but the surf, currents, cold water and sharks resulted in five men dying trying to reach safety. It wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that two sailors, managed to get to shore using a raft. It took them three hours and they then had to walk about 32 kilometres along the shore in the dark to Northumberland Lighthouse without shoes. They were met by Ben Germein the lighthouse keeper. His horse had died so he had to walk to a nearby station to borrow a horse. The horse he chose threw him off so in the end the station owner, Peter Black, rode the 24 km to the Mount Gambier telegraph station to share the news of the disaster. After several unsuccessful rescue attempts, eight days after the initial disaster, 19 people were rescued by the Portland Lifeboat and three people, including Captain McEwan were rescued in one of Admella’s lifeboats which had been found on the shore and fixed. It was captained by Ben Germein with six volunteer oarsmen. This was Germain’s sixth attempt to reach the wreck in the damaged boat. Of the 113 people on board Admella at the time of her wreck only 24 survived. At the official enquiry into the disaster, fog, lightning, compasses and bad mapping were all considered as the cause, but finally the swift and unpredictable currents which run between Cape Jaffa and Cape Northumberland were given the official blame. This medal is associated with one of Australia's worst maritime disasters, the wreck of SS Admella. This incident is significant to Portland because the Portland Lifeboat and its crew took part in a heroic rescue. 19 people were rescued by the crew of the Lifeboat. The Portland Lifeboat is listed on Victoria's State Heritage Register.The medal is presented in a blue box. The box has beveled edges. Inside the lid is a fabric insert with details of the silversmith printed. The medal sits in a circular insert with a blue ribbon for taking the medal out with ease.portland lifeboat, admella, shipwrecks, admella shipwreck, admella medals, dusting, glenelg shire council cultural collection, portland

Samuel J Levitt established his business as watchmaker, jeweller and silversmith in High Street, St Kilda in 1864Black and white photograph in wooden framelevitt, st kilda businesses

A silver plated serving spoon with initials of D J M engraved, hallmarks not of a silversmith, but probably a plater. Plain style. Marks 1L and three symbols resembling trees. Style of spoon is same as silver spoon (see NA3125) dated 1830 William 1V. Maker R.B. also donated by Margaret Scarlett.1Ldomestic items, cutlery

Thimbles have long been used as a shield for the fingertip when hand sewing. In the Victorian period, an ornate silver thimble would be given as an engagement gift, but silver proved too soft for withstanding pins. In 1885, Charles Horner patented a new silver thimble with a steel core which became the Dorcas thimble and enabled a functional but still decorative thimble. This particular thimble collection includes two Charles Horner thimbles. The collection was owned by Kallista woman, Beryl Collett (1925-2018). Some may have originally belonged to her mother (Hettie Collett nee Thorn) who was a talented milliner and from whom Beryl first learnt her considerable handicraft skills. These thimbles form part of a large and varied range of objects which were either collected by or hand-made by Beryl and which have been donated to the Museum. This varied thimble collection has been collected during the long lifetime of a local woman who enjoyed needlework and lacemaking.This is a collection of eight thimbles. Most are ornately decorated with raised detail. All are silver except for one made of brass. Two are Dorcas thimbles manufactured by Charles Horner and two are made by silversmiths in Taxco (Mexico). A German-made thimble has glass in its cap. The thimbles vary in age from c. early to mid-20th century.beryl collett, hettie collett, thimbles

Watch worn by Ben Roachfort, passenger on the 'Admella', survived wreck of 'Admella' in 1859.Brass watch with ivory face, in a hallmarked sterling silver pair case. Hallmarks: Assay mark - Lion passant - Sterling silver. 925 purity. Town mark - London (uncrowned leopard's head). Date mark - 1832-1833. Makers mark - HD (unknown silversmith) Pocket watch measures diameter 5 cm x depth 1.7cmFront: Movement is marked "SLOW FAST".admella

The initials on this watch are not clear but, even so, no information is available on the original owner, whether the initials are ‘J.T.F.’ or not. The makers, Hunt and Roskell, were a firm of manufacturing and retailing jewellers and silversmiths in England in the 19th century (founded 1843 and taken over by J.W. Benson in 1889 and continuing to trade as Hunt and Roskell Limited until 1965). This watch is suitable for display material only unless some provenance can be establishedThis is a silver watch with an outer casing covering the dial but showing the time in a smaller circular frame. The figures are Roman numerals on the dial and on the outer casing. The second hand is missing and the hour hand is bent. The dial has an inset showing the seconds. The face has black markings on a white background. There is a large ring at the top of the case for attachment to a chain. Back of watch case: ‘J.T.F.’ (?) Inside case: ‘69188’ Back of watch: ‘Examined by Hunt & Roskell, 156 New Bond Street, London’ hunt & roskell, silver watch, warrnambool

A lady's black silk belt with ornate silver buckle c 1880.belt buckle is filigree silvermoorabbin, brighton, early settlers, pioneers, cheltenham, dressmaking, silversmiths, craftwork

Michael Wilson learnt the craft of Goldsmithing after seeing well known sculptor and silversmith Matcham Skipper working in his studio at Montsalvat in and around 1970. This work is a gift to the Eltham Community in recognition of his twenty five years of developing his goldsmith skills and operating his business within the Shire. Wilson officially opened his commercial premises in 1985. Michael Wilson is a local jewellery maker. His work is influenced directly by the environment in which he lives. This sculpture is representative of his distinctive style of work as a nationally and an internationally recognised Designer and Goldsmith. Made of steel and powdercoated in aluminium with a concrete base. Decorative elements such as the ring encasing the cicada and the cicada's wings are guilded with 24ct gold leaf. The steel rod is burgundy in colour with the cicada painted a dark olive green to represent the 'Green Grocer' variety common in Eltham. The colours used in this sculpture match the surrounding Elm and Ash trees in the landscape. N/Apublic art, cicada, wilson, gold, green grocer, jewellery

This butter or cheese knife is a decorative example of electroplated cutlery that had become an affordable alternative to more expensive silver cutlery in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The knife has stamp marks in the back of its handle that are a combination of letters and symbols used by British silversmiths to identify their workmanship. The design and type of this knife was not normally used by everyday people but rather those of a higher social class with time and money to have a particular decorative knife to serve butter or cheese. The marks on the handle tell that it was made of nickel silver, and electroplated with superior quality Stirling silver. The Barker Brothers of Birmingham made the knife between 1885 and 1907, but most likely before 1895. It was made for the British, or British colonial, people, connected with a government department such as the navy or defence. This story may be slightly inaccurate, as some silversmiths added extra ‘pseudo marks’ to their wares to disguise the quality. THE MARKS and their meaning – - ‘A1’ The silver used in electroplating this knife was the highest level, ‘superior quality’, measured in grams of silver per table spoon or table fork, with ‘A1’ being 2 2/3 grams, and ‘D’ being 0 1/2 grams of silver. - ‘BB’ The Baker Brothers used these initials from 1885 to 1907. - ‘[crown symbol]’ – This symbol is used for Sterling silver but this knife is a metal alloy. The crown is also the town mark of Sheffield (appointed by the Sheffield Assay Office) but this knife was made in Birmingham, which has the town mark of an anchor. The Barker Brothers may have added the crown mark to this electroplated silverware as a ‘pseudo hallmark’, leading the buyer to think that it was actual Sterling silver. The use of pseudo hallmarks by electroplaters of the Victorian era was common practice but it was illegal. In 1895 the unlawful practice was seen as imitating the Sheffield Silver Mark and the law was firmly applied to eradicate the deception, so items with this mark probably date before 1895. - [EPNS] Electro Plated Nickel Silver, called nickel silver or German silver, is a metal alloy that usually combines copper, nickel and zinc (60 percent copper, 20 percent nickel, 20 percent zinc). It has a silver-white appearance and is sometimes referred to as ‘white ware’. It does not contain any silver but is often used as a base for electroplating, when the item is covered with a thin layer of silver to give it the polished appearance of pure silver. It became popular in the late 19th and early 20th century as an affordable substitute for sterling silver. - Broad Arrow - an official stamp that indicates it was once the property of Britain government, either in Britain or one of its colonies, and used in the defence force. In Great Britain, from an 1875 government act, it was, and still, is a crime to forge or wrongfully use, the broad arrow symbol. The BARKER BROTHERS of Birmingham - Barker Brothers were one of the earlies firms of Birmingham silversmiths, established in 1801 by Mary Barker. They became Barker & Creed, then William and Matthias Barker, then from 1885 they were the Barker Brothers. They were operating in Paradise Street in 1871 until in 1903 they moved to Unity Works, Constitution Hill, in Birmingham. The firm also had a showroom at 292 High Holborn, London, from the early 1900s to the 1980s. In 1907 the firm became Barker Brothers Silversmiths Ltd, then in the 1960s they merged with Ellis & Co, becoming Barker Ellis Silver Co. Ltd. In 1979 they were registered in USA as Ellis & Co., Barker Ellis, and Ellis Barker. The business went into administration in 1992, after almost 200 years of production. The firm advertised as specialists in electroplating, and used the trademarks BRITANOID, UNITY PLATE and THE HYGENIA.This knife is historically significant, dated from 1885 to 1907 but most likely pre-1895, and made by the longstanding Birmingham silversmiths, the Barker Brothers, established in 1801. The knife is an example of decorative flatware used by people of ’class’. It also has the broad arrow stamp, connecting it to the British government, in particular the ordinance department. The stamp also connects it to other items in our collection with that stamp. It may have been connected to pre-Federation government organisations and officials such as the army Garrison, government naval vessel, police, lighthouse keepers, harbour masters. The knife is the only example of its kind in our collection, being a decorative silver butter or cheese knife, made by the Barker Brothers of Birmingham. Butter knife, or cheese knife, electroplated nickel silver (EPNS). Upper blade edge has decorative shape and engraved motifs, lower blade edge is bevelled to a cutting edge, and narrow plain handle flares out to a wide, rounded end. Maker’s marks are stamped on the reverse. Made by Barker Brothers of Birmingham in the late-19th century. Stamps: “flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, butter knife, cheese knife, electroplate, electro plate, nickel silver, nickel alloy, alloy composition, copper nickel zinc, german silver, epns, barker brothers, birmingham, london, silversmiths, victorian era, 19th century, a1, bb, crown inside square, broad arrow, flatware, tableware, cutlery, cutler, dining utensils, eating utensils, superior quality, pseudo hallmark, stirling silver, silver-white metal, mary barker, barker & creed, william barker, matthias barker, barker brothers silversmiths, barker ellis silver co, ellis & co, barker ellis, ellis barker, britanoid, unity plate, the hygenia, british, colonial, government use, defence department use, naval use, knife, serving knife