Michael Baggott silver collection shines

The first part of the private collection of silver of the late, much-loved TV antiques expert Michael Baggott (1973-2025), star of the BBC’s Flog It! programme, saw competitive bidding in a Salisbury saleroom recently.

Believed to be the most comprehensive collection of silver assayed in York ever to come onto the open market, the collection in its entirety has been grouped into 440 lots at Woolley and Wallis, of which over 150 lots were presented for auction in the first of three sales. It comprised a wide selection of York silver, as well as silver from Liverpool, Chester, Dundee, Newcastle, Bristol, Exeter and Aberdeen.

Among the highlights of the sale was a rare George III York silver tontine chamberstick and snuffer, by the most revered York Silversmiths of the Late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century, Hampston and Prince. ‘Tontines’ were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries and used to fund various projects and silver was one way to participate in the scheme. The participants in the tontine and their dates of death are engraved underneath. It sold for £8,190 against an estimate of £1,000-£1,5000.

The sale saw fierce bidding for one of the rarest known pieces of York silver, a Victorian provincial ceremonial spade with the maker’s mark of John Bell. It is engraved with an armorial and inscribed ‘This Spade was presented to the Lady Mayoress of York, Mrs W. Fox Clarke, on the occasion of her planting a tree in St. George’s Field in commemorating the marriage of H.R.H the Prince of Wales with Princess Alexandra of Denmark, March 10th 1863.’ The spade, which dates from circa 1859-63 finally won out to another silver collector, selling for £4,032 against an estimate of £1,000-£1,5000.

A rectangular Victorian silver engraved ‘Castle-top’ vinaigrette features Witley Court in Worcestershire. It was produced by Nathaniel Mills of Birmingham in 1843. Silver vinaigrettes were first created in around 1770, with them first being worn by both men and women as pendants. They were small boxes used to hold and diffuse a fragrant scent, often aromatic vinegar, to mask unpleasant odours. Highly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries among the upper classes, they contained a sponge soaked in a fragrant liquid. The sponge would be held under the nose to inhale the scent, offering a temporary escape from foul smells, or to revive someone who had fainted! This rare example sold for £2,142 against an estimate of £300-£500.

Silver spoons were a penchant of Baggott’s and one particular example popular in the sale was a George III provincial silver caddy spoon, by Hampston and Prince, York, dating from c.1795. It features a shell bowl and Onslow pattern handle. It was sold alongside a George IV provincial silver Fiddle pattern caddy spoon, by Cattle and North, York in 1828. The pair sold for £819 against an estimate of £150-£200.

A George IV silver-gilt sideboard dish by the renowned Birmingham silversmith Edward Thomason (circa 1769-1849) sold for £5,040 against an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 (lot 831). Thomason was a prominent British silversmith, manufacturer, as well as an inventor based in Birmingham. Initially apprenticed to the revered silversmith Matthew Boulton (1728-1809), who was a key figure in the Industrial Revolution, Thomason established his own business in the early 1790s, producing gilt and silver-plated items, such as buttons, buckles and medals. His firm became renowned for high-quality craftsmanship and innovation in metalwork, moving on to more elaborate and high-quality pieces. This sideboard dish dates from 1826 and is a fine example of his work.

A George IV silver-mounted naval snuff box in the collection inscribed: ‘Made of the wood from Northern Discover Ships by Michael Jones at Deptford, 5th May 1824’ sold for £5,170 against an estimate of £600-£800. The inscription likely refers to the Northern Discovery Ships, 16th-century English vessels sent to find a northern sea route to Asia.

The 1824 snuff box was made by Charles Reily, a London-based silversmith active during the early to mid-19th century. He began his career in 1826, entering his first mark as a smallworker in partnership with his mother, Mary Reily, at 6 Carey Lane, London. In 1829, he partnered with George Storer, registering a new mark as plateworkers. Their workshop was situated near the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths’ Hall, a central location for London’s silversmiths and they crafted fine-quality small silver items, including snuff boxes, mustard pots, wine labels, and presentation salvers. Their pieces are characterized by intricate designs and exceptional craftsmanship.

Commenting on the auction result of part one of the collection, Rupert Slingsby, silver specialist at Woolley and Wallis auctioneers, said: “We have been so thrilled with the interest in Michael’s sale from worldwide collectors and every lot in the sale was sold. This is only part one of his collection with two more sales to follow and this selection achieved £124,614 against an expected figure of £60,000. The public view was very well-attended and everyone was extremely impressed with the variety and quality of his collection.”

Known to millions for his sharp eye and larger than life character, Baggott joined Flog It! in 2004. The show’s format included inviting the public to bring along objects for a valuation, where Baggott would advise. Contestants would then have to decide whether they wished to take a cash payment to the valued amount, or to take a gamble by putting them into an auction, which the camera followed for the result. He soon won over the public with his transparent, honest approach, which was always mixed with great humour and he became a firm favourite. The show ended in 2018, having run for 17 years and 1,000 episodes.