A sterling silver business card case with a scalloped edge and striped engine turned body. This is an exquisite example of a large sized business or "calling card" case from England. This size, that comfortably fits both credit card and business cards, is much harder to find as the average width of a calling card from this time was much more narrow.
The edge of the body of the entire case, lid and base, has a wonderfully shaped edge detailing. This style of edging is know as 'scalloping', and was very popular across furniture, architecture and found its way into silver items too. It reflects a refined amount of adornment to what is, overall, a very simple and classic piece. It is just the right amount of detail without being too over the top.
The lid is a classic "piano" style pinned through the side. The hinge is tight, and closes seamlessly matching the edging from the top and the bottom perfectly.
Cases such as these make for beautiful wallets today. They allow a number of credit cards, ID and any other card needed on a regular basis to be carried in a neat, clean and tidy way. They also prevent the risk of contactless cards being cloned while in the pocket.
The card case was made in Birmingham, England, in 1912, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. It has the makers marks of W. H. H. for William Hair Haseler. William Hair Haseler is a silversmith that is undoubtedly associated with Liberty & Co. W. H. Haseler & Co. was founded in 1870, producing gold, silver, and jewellery. In 1898, W.H.Haseler and Liberty went into partnership, with Haseler producing most of Liberty’s silverware from their Birmingham workshop. They launched the silver line of Liberty ‘Cymric’ and the pewter counterpart ‘Tudric’ under a new company name of Liberty & Co and produced works designed by Archibald Knox.
In 1901, Haseler sold most of their plant and premises in return for £200 worth of shares in Liberty & Co. Hinks (1983) argued that this was an astute move by the firm, as it “[enabled] them to pursue own work and mark and market some Liberty designs as their own.” The partnership between the firms continued until 1926, producing some of the finest early 20th century silver Britain has to offer.
The condition of the piece is exceptional, and shows no signs of damage or denting. A beautiful example of something highly practical now well over one hundred years old that still has many many years to offer. This example also has a central cartouche on one side of the case which is perfect for personalised engraving to be applied to. We can help with this, if this is so desired.
