Identifying crests

[scrimnet]

Is this a military piece of mess tableware???

The Keep of Gibraltar is featured on a number of cap badges, and this looks almost exactly the same...

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=keep%20gibraltar%20castle%20badge&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

[behindthefrogs]

Is this a military piece of mess tableware???

The Keep of Gibraltar is featured on a number of cap badges, and this looks almost exactly the same...

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=keep%20gibraltar%20castle%20badge&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

I think the fact that the castle is sitting on a wreath makes this extremely unlikely.  The presence of the wreath as I said previously makes it very certain that this is a crest taken from the top of the helmet in a coat of arms.

David

[KGarrad]

Also, what identifies the Gibraltar badge is not only the castle with 3 turrets/towers but the rock on which it sits.

The teapot design has no rock!
Therefore unlikely to be Gibraltar, methinks.

However, it kind of looks familiar - have to think where I have seen it.

[millymcb]

It could be a city or town crest rather than a family one.

Many cities have a "castle triple turreted" as their crest.  Some on rocks, some with water underneath, some with walls, some with birds etc. This one has "laurel leaves"  either "erect" or "proper" over the castle

I can't see a city or town that has the castle and the laurel leaves -although there may be one.

Regarding the Gibralta question - that line of stone underneath the castle could perhaps be the artist's representation of the rock.

 
Thinking about a family crest -  I did come across this chap - who has a crest which fits the description. unfortunately, if your friends just bought the items I suppose it unlikely that these names would help.

Sir CLEMENT LLOYD HILL, Knight Commander of
the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint
George. Born May 5, 1845, being the third son of the Rev.
John Hill (second brother of the Rt. Hon. the second Vis-
count Hill), by his wife Charlotte, daughter of Iliomas
Kenyon, Esquire, commonly known as the Honourable
Thomas Kenyon; created Knight Commander of the
Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint
George, 1887.
.....
and for his Crest, upon a wreath of the colours, a castle triple-turreted,
surmounted with a garland of laurel proper ; with the Motto,'
" Avancez."

There is an example here.. http://www.rootschat.com/links/0aim/


It looks quite similar - although iI would have thought if it was this family it should have had the motto scroll underneath the castle.

Milly

[scrimnet]

Also, what identifies the Gibraltar badge is not only the castle with 3 turrets/towers but the rock on which it sits.

The teapot design has no rock!
Therefore unlikely to be Gibraltar, methinks.

However, it kind of looks familiar - have to think where I have seen it.

Most of the early reprentations of the castle on Regt silverware is thus...No rock...I have some examples at home, as well as the continuous evolution and representation of the castle...

Even Northampton has the town crest with the Gib castle upon it...

[KGarrad]

Gibraltar ensignia without the rock?!

What a dastardly deed! The culprit should be horse-whipped!!! 

[behindthefrogs]

The castle on the Northampton coat of arms is a representation of Northampton Castle and nothing to do with Gibraltar.

The crest on the silver has an olive branch (or two?) rather than a garland.  What however is interesting is that the arms of most members of the Hill family seem to include a crest which features an olive branch although it is usually in the mouth of a dove.

David