Lot 64: Hallmarked Sterling Silver Mounted Bottle Stopper and a Silver Handled Butter Knife circa 30g net

Two late 19th-century domestic items comprising a bottle stopper and a butter knife. The bottle stopper features a natural cork base topped with a sterling silver mount and a textured ring pull. The mount is decorated with ornate Victorian repoussé foliate and scroll-work casting. The mount bears a group of hallmarks including a lion passant, a leopard’s head, and a lowercase date letter ‘i’ in a shield. There is a two-character maker’s mark present, but it is not clearly legible due to the casting.

The butter knife consists of a sterling silver handle and a silver-plated blade. The handle is designed with a tapering form and a rounded terminal. It is struck with four rectangular punches: the letters ‘JY’, a crown in an oval, a lion passant, and a lowercase date letter ‘f’ in a shield. The blade is struck with four separate rectangular punches containing the letters ‘EPNS’.