silver has been one of the most valuable and sought precious metals in the world, and over the years people have found ways to convert and mold the precious metal in different ways and items they want to satisfy their want and desire to own the precious metal, some want it in coin, jewelry, house designs and a whole lots of ways. in this post, i will be looking at the top 5 most expensive items made of silver.
1* The Germain Soup Tureen
The Germain Soup Tureen is a wonderful piece of art, Handcrafted by talented silversmith and artisan Thomas Germain, the soup tureen was custom-made for French King Louis XV. The extremely rare tureen is one of the few existing silver pieces of its kind. Many others were melted to finance wars and battles, including the French Revolution. In 1996, the Germain Soup Tureen was sold at a Sotheby’s New York auction for $10 million, i mean who wouldn't want to pay that much to get a tureen soup with that kind of history.
2* George II Silver Coffee Pot
The George II Silver Coffee was handcrafted by British silversmith Paul de Lamerie, the item in 1738 and was commissioned by John Lequesne, the director of the Bank of England and knighted by King George II in 1737.
the Pot is one of the most exquisite pieces of Rococo silverware, sold in 2013 at Christie’s auction house for nearly $7 million. It holds the title of being the most expensive piece of British silverware ever sold.
3* Antique American Punch Silver Bowl
just like the others, it was Handcrafted in New York by silversmith Cornelius Kierstede during the early 1700s, the Antique American Punch Silver Bowl surpassed all American silverware sale records and showing to everyone what a good auction cab do to price by exceeding initial estimates of $500,000 and $800,000 by selling for a whopping $5.9 million. The item was previously owned by Commodore Joshua Loring in his Loring-Greenough Massachusetts residence, which is now a historic site. The sterling silver bowl weighs over 1.99 Kg.
4* Deck of Silver Playing Cards
The Deck of Silver Playing Cards is one of five known sets, with only one being complete. it can be used for playing, but it is meant for just artistry. it is worth $3.9 million handcrafted in 1616 in Germany, and foretells a fascinating story about a Portuguese princess who managed to pocket the deck when she escaped Napoleon’s army. Each one of the 52 playing cards was gilded with gold using mercury, a well-known poisonous metal, which makes the process extremely dangerous to the point where the manufacturing of such items became illegal.
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5* Great Silver Wine Cistern of Thomas Wentworth
as the name implies, the great silver wine was sold at **$3.8 million dollars, The wine cooler was crafted by Philip Rollo between 1706 and 1711. The silver wine cistern is made of 76.2 Kg of silver by the then Queen Anne of England as a gift. the interesting feature about this silverware is that it is engraved with well detailed of the royal arms, the Queen Anne royal code and the Britannia mark on both side handles.
well our precious metals is not called precious for anything, one thing i like and find fascinating about our precious metals is that for years, decade and centuries to come they will always remain valuable and appreciated.