Levi & Salaman
Phineas Harris Levi and Joseph Wolff Salaman founded their silversmithing business in 1870. Operating from Birmingham, the pair continued to manufacture silver jewellery and novelties. In 1878 Levi & Salaman bought Potosi Silver, a manufacturer of silverplated flatware. On 1910 Levi died and the firm was made a limited liability company, trading as Levi & Salaman Ltd. In 1921 Levi & Salaman Ltd and their subsidiary firm Potosi Silver Co were merged with Barker Brothers (Silversmiths) Ltd. The range of production from this wonderful firm attracts a huge amount of interest from silver collectors at auction, with unique pieces achieving fantastic results.
Levi & Salaman Silver at Auction
Amongst the most successful Levi & Salaman silver lots at auction are their novelty silver pin cushions. Produced at the turn of the 20th century and particularly prevalent during Edward VII's reign, these charming pin cushions can take the form of animals, shoes, cars, baskets, and many more. The rarest and most sought after by collectors are exotic and unusual animals such as rhinos, parrots, camels, monkeys, and even cats! These diminutive pieces of silver can in cases reach over £1,000 at auction.
Elsewhere, fine and complete dressing table sets with enamel or tortoiseshell detailing, chatelaines, decorative menu holders, novelty items such as the card case below all have far exceeded their estimates at auction. A fantastic firm with a wonderful output of novel, eye-catching and stylish pieces during their fifty year tenure, Levi & Salaman silver continues to attract attention with keen bidders.
Our specialist silver auctions include four Fine & Classic Sales per year. For an up-to-date auction valuation of your collection, contact our specialist team.
Contact our qualified specialist Liz Bailey to find out more.
Maker's Marks
Cursive 'L & S' - often within a rectangular surround. Accompanied by Birmingham anchor, London leopard head, Chester wheatsheaf, or Sheffield passant marks.
