1876. A Royal presentation gift from H.R.H. Prince Albert Edward, The Prince of Wales following his Tour of India 1875-76

Prince of Wales [later King Edward VII]. A gentleman’s cheroot case of brown leather with silver fittings and mounts. The case, 6 x 3¼ ins [15 x 8.5mm] is silvder mounted with the Prince’s badge to the front, his vrest within a Garter and Garter Chain, the Imperial Crown above w9ith the pendant Order of the Star of India. His initials A E to the sides [ ratherr as it appears on the binding of the book William Howard Russell:The Prince of Wales’ Tour of a Diary in India]. The silver mounts are hallmarked London 1875 maker WW HF and a lower interior mount is engraved by the maker Thornhill 144 Bond Street . The mounts, multipart hinge, spring catch, and purple silk lining are all in good condition with just a few dark mounts on parts of the silver. The upper hinge mount is engraved d.d. H.R.H. The Prince of Wales [d.d. Latin abbreviation for a gift]. The lower mount is engraved H.M.S. “Serapis” May 1876 .The leather which allowed the case to expand a little shen cheroots were put in it has dried out somwehat with age and I have not tried to force it to open further.  Included in this sale is a carte de visite by Symonds &Co. 39 High Street Portsmouth. This sort of gift would most probably have been given to a senior officer on the Serapis in gratitude for the lengthy voyage successfully made but I doubt whether there would be more than a handful. I have not seen another. Although we have no definite provenance we acquired this with a photograph of an officer of the Serapis and there could be a link. dec23/1