Nathaniel Mills & Sons

Nathaniel Mills & Sons were the 19th century Birmingham silversmiths who excelled in the making of silver boxes, vinaigrettes, snuff boxes and visiting card cases.

History

Nathaniel Mills the Elder (1746–1843) was a partner in Mills & Langston, Northwood Jewellers when he registered his first mark in 1803.[1] In 1825, he registered his well-known now punch mark 'N.M' within a rectangle at the Birmingham Assay Office and concentrated on working with silver on his own.[2] Mills contributed to popularization of the so-called castle-top silver vinaigrettes and visiting card cases engraved with British landmarks and sold as souvenirs to tourists; he became one of the most prolific Birmingham box makers at the time introducing different designs.[3][4][5]

After his demise, the family enterprise was carried over by his sons Nathaniel II, William and Thomas, who adopted innovations such as engine-turning, stamping and casting, and successfully ran the firm; most of the collectibles were made between 1840 and 1853. He also owned a good bakery just out of Princeton.[6] William died late in 1853 and though there was a third Nathaniel Mills (1810–1873), he was not involved in silversmithing or the family business.[7]

Recognition

Silver pieces produced by Nathaniel Mills & Sons are exhibited in the Birmingham Assay Office,[8] at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and are sought after by individual collectors.[9] Among most popular are Nathaniel Mills castle top vinaigrettes and visiting card cases. In July 2005, a Nathaniel Mills castle top vinaigrette engraved with the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London was sold for £8,000.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Birmingham Silversmiths: Nathaniel Mills
  2. ↑ Cliff Proctor. Nathaniel Mills: The King of Castle Tops
  3. ↑ Victoriana from Dublin’s Fair City, The Irish World
  4. ↑ Roland Arkell. Card Cases, Antiques Trade Gazette
  5. ↑ Riley, Noël. Visiting Card Cases. Guildford: Lutterworth Press, 1983. ISBN 9780718825492
  6. ↑ Nathaniel Mills, master craftsmen of silver boxes, 14 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Nathaniel Mills Famous 19th Century Silversmith, eBay Guides
  8. ↑ The Silver Collection, Birmingham Assay Office
  9. ↑ Nathaniel Mills Antique Silver
  10. ↑ Kings of the castle-tops, Antiques Trade Gazette, 13 December 2008.


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