Stand out fine art sale for Chilcotts
Chilcotts is celebrating one of the most successful sales ever with its most recent Fine Art & Antiques Medals & Militaria auction.
An impressive 89 per cent of the lots were sold and the sale total was 12 per cent higher than the top pre-auction expectations.
Auctioneer, Duncan Chilcott said: “The sale was particularly fruitful as there were fewer lots than usual but each having a higher value.
“We knew there would be a lot of interest in this particular sale due to a number of important collections.”
Two of these hailed from North Devon and came to sale at Chilcotts as a result of the firm’s monthly valuation days. One was a jewellery collection from the 1950s and 60s made by a jeweller who created pieces for society folk such as Barbara Cartland and Princess Diana’s stepmother, Raine Spencer. A particularly beautiful ring from the collection was bought by a jeweller from Brighton as a gift for his wife for £4,300. The total realised by the jewellery collection - which comprised 21 lots - was £12,750.
A second collection, this time of antique weapons, achieved sales totalling £14,280 after attracting interest from buyers in the UK and Europe including Germany and Switzerland. Best performers were a 1770s French barrelled flintlock sporting gun that sold for £1,255, a flintlock musket which went for £930 and two blunderbusses that reached £930 and £830 respectively.
Another item of interest that sold well was a decorative knife made from the wreckage of a First World War Zeppelin that fetched £360 after receiving interest from the media.
Although there was a high percentage of online bidding for this sale, the Silver Street Saleroom, adjacent to Honiton Community College, was also packed with bidders, making for a lively and entertaining sale day.
Chilcotts valuation days are held in North Devon on the third Tuesday of every month at the Cedars Hotel, in Tiverton on the first Tuesday at the Tiverton Hotel and in Honiton every Friday morning at the Silver Street Saleroom.
