An oval hinged tobacco box, silver-plated over copper, with a turned wooden handle. The exterior carries a full heraldic achievement engraved into the lid — identified as the arms of the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers of the City of London: a chevron between two ewers in chief and a handled pot in base, flanked by two armored warrior supporters each bearing a sword, with a demi-armored figure as crest. Below the shield, a motto scroll. On the handle ferrule, the word Victoria. On the underside, the numeral III.
This was institutional silver — piece number three from a set commissioned for an establishment called The Victoria. Whoever ordered it held a connection to one of London's oldest livery companies, chartered to regulate the armourer's trade since the medieval period.
The exterior surface carries heavy verdigris where the silver plate has worn through to the copper beneath — a century and a half of oxidation reading as a map of use. The interior retains its silver finish. The hinge holds. The handle is sound.
It came from one of Oakland County's earliest domestic interiors. How it arrived there from a Victorian establishment in England is not recorded.
Hunter's Notes
Hunter's notes pending.
The Archive Record — JLM-260037
| Maker |
Unknown — institutional commission, Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers attributed |
| Established |
Armourers and Brasiers Company, City of London — medieval origin |
| Object |
Oval hinged tobacco box with wooden handle |
| Material |
Silver plate over copper |
| Construction |
Electroplate or Sheffield plate; hinged construction; turned wooden handle |
| Era |
Victorian, circa 1840–1900 | confidence: attributed |
| Country of Origin |
England — attributed |
| Condition Tier |
Fair |
| Condition |
Heavy verdigris on exterior where silver plate worn through to copper base. Interior retains silver finish. Hinge functional. Handle sound. Engraved heraldic detail legible throughout. |
| Hunt Provenance |
Beverly Hills estate, Oakland County, MI — January 2026; inscribed "Victoria" / "III" indicating prior institutional use |
| Authentication |
Heraldic identification — arms confirmed as Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers (chevron between two ewers and pot in base; armored warrior supporters with swords) |
| Comparable Sold |
$100–$200 (eBay / Chairish — May 2026) |
| JLM Price |
$195 |
| Food Safe |
no |
| Lead Risk |
yes — age-appropriate caution |
| Child Safe |
no |
| Gift Idea |
Collector, Academic Study, Institutional History |
Product Specs
| Dimensions |
6″ D × 6.5″ W × 1.5″ H |
| Weight |
0.5 lb |
