As the deadline for entries for Smiths Auctions May sale approached, a late flurry of appointments was made, and a fabulous array of items were consigned. A ‘late flurry’ is quite often the case in the auction world, as people are often surprised at how much time is needed to get everything described, placed in the saleroom, and photographed in time for viewing and sale days. The team at Smiths will often spend two whole days getting the furniture placed and photographed, before finding the perfect spot for the smaller items. Another couple of days to give everything a lot number, and a whole week of photography then ensues. Leaving very little time before the saleroom is open for viewing and the team get a feel for what is looking popular and what could do well on sale day.

The Medals and Militaria section was rounded off nicely with the addition of a WWII medal group that has been consigned with a £1000/£1500 estimate. The group contains a Military Cross medal awarded to Major E Gwyn Davies, as well as the War, Defence, 1939-45 Star, and the Burma Star medal.

Alongside the medal group is his sword, various badges, and a good collection of ephemera relating to the Major. A Military Cross is a very prestigious award, so for a collector that takes this medal group to the next level, and the Smiths valuation team believe this lot should do incredibly well.

The Ceramics section also saw a few late arrivals, including a lovely collection of Royal Worcester ivory blush items, but the standout late consignment must be a Wileman & Co Intarsio vase decorated with white rabbits flanked by borders of stylised flowers. This vase designed by Frederick Rhead has an estimate of £150/£200 but the team are hopeful that the impressive design, good size, and great condition mean it could do even more.

Fans of Shelley will know that Wileman & Co is effectively the first incarnation of Shelley as we know it today. James Wileman and Joseph Ball Shelley formed a successful partnership in 1872 under the name Wileman & Co, with the name changing to Shelley in 1910. A pivotal point in the company came in 1896 when they hired Frederick Rhead as Art Director.

Frederick had enjoyed a successful career, being an apprentice painter at Minton’s, then working for Copeland as well as Wedgwood, before arriving at Wileman & Co and introducing several ranges of earthenware, with the most famous being Intarsio. Frederick would only stay with the company until 1905, but in those nine years he improved the quality of the ware, introduced new ranges, and ultimately improved the reputation of the entire company. He then continued to work in the pottery industry until his death in 1933.

Although Smiths have a specialist Coin and Banknote section in their August sale, quite often vendors don’t want to wait for future sales, if they just have one or two small coin groups, or if they’d rather ‘cash in’ now, and are happy to enter coins into the next available sale. The team have put together around twenty lots of coins for the May sale, with estimates ranging from £10/£20 to £1000/£1500. One group of coins that was consigned include commemorative examples for HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen

Mother, and include three 14ct gold coins, as well as approximately thirty silver crowns. Split accordingly, the commemorative coins should achieve over £2000. With the catalogue going online across two different bidding platforms, and coins being a well searched for item, the lots on offer at Smiths will have good online exposure and should do well regardless of the theme of the sale.

Smiths will have the May auction catalogue online by Thursday, May 7. Viewing will then be held on Tuesday , May 12 and Wednesday, May 13 from 10am-5pm, and the auction will take place on Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15 from 10am, with viewing from 9am. The easiest way to view the catalogue is directly through their website at www.smithsnewentauctions.co.uk

Don’t forget you can also get in touch with the team now to discuss future auctions, including the July sale that will include a specialist Toy section, and August that will include a specialist Coin and Banknote section. You can contact Smiths on 01531 821776 and a member of the team will be more than happy to provide you with more information.