Antique 1911 Sterling Silver Plain Vesta / Locket / Vessel by William Henry Sparrow
This antique vesta case is made from sterling silver. It was originally designed to be hung from a gentleman’s pocket watch chain, to hold matches to keep them safe and dry (the ridged bit on the base was for striking them), but today you can pop any little keepsake inside. It’s elegant in its simplicity with no engraving or decoration, just a slight concave design on one side and it’s made of a nice heavy gauge of silver so it feels sturdy and has no dinks (what looks like a indentation on the right-hand side of the second photo is just a reflection). It’s hallmarked on the rim of the lid, from the Birmingham Assay Office, with the date letter for 1911 and the maker’s initials of William Henry Sparrow. There’s a good sized bale ring on the side for hanging.
The main body of the vesta measures 4.6cm long, 3.4cm wide and 1.1cm deep. Weighs 24.1 grams.
Condition: Very good uncleaned antique condition. There are no dinks, just the usual very light surface marks which you’d expect on an antique item.
This antique vesta case is made from sterling silver. It was originally designed to be hung from a gentleman’s pocket watch chain, to hold matches to keep them safe and dry (the ridged bit on the base was for striking them), but today you can pop any little keepsake inside. It’s elegant in its simplicity with no engraving or decoration, just a slight concave design on one side and it’s made of a nice heavy gauge of silver so it feels sturdy and has no dinks (what looks like a indentation on the right-hand side of the second photo is just a reflection). It’s hallmarked on the rim of the lid, from the Birmingham Assay Office, with the date letter for 1911 and the maker’s initials of William Henry Sparrow. There’s a good sized bale ring on the side for hanging.
The main body of the vesta measures 4.6cm long, 3.4cm wide and 1.1cm deep. Weighs 24.1 grams.
Condition: Very good uncleaned antique condition. There are no dinks, just the usual very light surface marks which you’d expect on an antique item.
This antique vesta case is made from sterling silver. It was originally designed to be hung from a gentleman’s pocket watch chain, to hold matches to keep them safe and dry (the ridged bit on the base was for striking them), but today you can pop any little keepsake inside. It’s elegant in its simplicity with no engraving or decoration, just a slight concave design on one side and it’s made of a nice heavy gauge of silver so it feels sturdy and has no dinks (what looks like a indentation on the right-hand side of the second photo is just a reflection). It’s hallmarked on the rim of the lid, from the Birmingham Assay Office, with the date letter for 1911 and the maker’s initials of William Henry Sparrow. There’s a good sized bale ring on the side for hanging.
The main body of the vesta measures 4.6cm long, 3.4cm wide and 1.1cm deep. Weighs 24.1 grams.
Condition: Very good uncleaned antique condition. There are no dinks, just the usual very light surface marks which you’d expect on an antique item.
