Auction May 13, 2026
Lots 63 - 193

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English & Continental Silver

Auction of English & Continental Silver on May 13, 2026 Surpasses Expectations
The Walpole Silver-Gilt Seal Salver Achieves $241,800 Amid Trans-Atlantic Competition
An Important 18th Century Rediscovery Owned by Robert Walpole—Britain's First Prime Minister
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NEW YORK, NY -- International bidding drove exceptional results at the May 13, 2026 auction of English & Continental Silver as the sale total surpassed expectations. The sale achieved an impressive sell-through rate, with just two of the 130 lots offered remaining unsold, as collectors competed for English, Irish, German, Dutch, French and Italian silver spanning the 18th through 20th centuries.

The Walpole Silver-Gilt Seal Salver
Highlighting the sale was the Walpole Silver-Gilt Seal Salver, which soared beyond its $80,000-120,000 estimate amid trans-Atlantic bidding to achieve a stunning $241,800. This recently rediscovered piece of early 18th century English silver was owned by Robert Walpole (1676-1745), regarded as Britain’s first Prime Minister.

Made by London silversmith William Lukin, circa 1717, and engraved with the royal seal of King George I, the salver formed part of the “seal silver” presented to Walpole as a royal perquisite in his role as Chancellor of the Exchequer, the head of the royal treasury.

The salver descended to his son, the celebrated writer and antiquarian Horace Walpole, and remained in the Walpole family until the landmark Strawberry Hill Sale of 1842, where it was acquired by the Earl of Derby, in whose family it descended until a private sale in the 1940s. Its whereabouts remained a mystery until its recent rediscovery by Specialists from Doyle in a private New York collection.

With its exceptional provenance and deep connections to finance, government, politics and the royal court of George I, the Walpole Silver-Gilt Seal Salver stands as a rare and powerful survival, embodying the convergence of authority, patronage, connoisseurship and exceptional craftsmanship in early 18th century Britain.

Additional Categories in the Sale
Special sections of the sale will also present Old Master & 19th Century Paintings, Drawings & Prints on May 13 (Read More), and English & Continental Furniture & Decorative Arts on May 14 (Read More).

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Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.