Bidspirit auction | Boer War Sterling Silver Heart-Shaped

Boer War Sterling Silver Heart-Shaped Vesta Case by Jenkins and Fallows, 1901 - A late Victorian sterling silver heart-shaped vesta case, also referred to as a match safe, manufactured by Jenkins and Fallows. The piece features a side-hinged main lid for match storage and a secondary top-hinged interior panel on the reverse side intended for a photograph or postage stamps. A textured, grooved match striking surface is situated on the lower left curve of the heart. The front face is engraved with a commemorative military inscription within a rectangular border reading: SERG. F. GIBBARD / 10TH I.Y. / FROM / CAPT. B. BUTLER / S.A. 1900-1901. This naming refers to Sergeant F. Gibbard and Captain B. Butler of the 10th (Buckinghamshire) Company, Imperial Yeomanry, who served during the Second Boer War in South Africa. The interior rim is struck with a full set of British hallmarks including the number 15, the maker mark J and F for Jenkins and Fallows, the Birmingham anchor assay office mark, the lion passant for sterling silver, and the lowercase date letter b for the year 1901. The interior retains remnants of the original gold wash or vermeil finish. 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm.