celtic cross stapenhill

[coltman]

this carved stone celtic cross is in stapenhill cemetery (late 19th c. burial)  what craftsmanship!  take a look at the name

[Nessie]

Just a guess, had J.K. Rowling been having a look around for her ancestors?

[Su]

That is just beautiful !

I absolutely love celtic designs.  One day when I was in a charity shop I found this old brooch.  I just liked it and never gave it a thought.  It cost me 10p.  Sometime later when I really started looking at Celtic designs I noticed the same picture as my brooch, twisted loops with a birds head on the end.  Beneath that is a very unusual round purple/blue/green stone.  I have seen this bird depicted in many of the celtic designs, don't know what it is/was.  The brooch is made of metal (dirty silver in colour - might even be silver for all I know).  I'd love to know if it is the real McCoy .... 

Su

[coltman]

hello Nessie,

whoever paid for the cross to be carved can't have been very far behind JK's wealth.  it must have cost a fortune, so I reckon this harry potter had a bob or two

regards

andy

[coltman]

hello Su,

I love celtic design also, its so intricate, I also like a lot of tribal design too.  do you have a picture of your brooch?  If its english silver it will be hallmarked somewhere.  If it isn't it could still well be silver, although continental silver has to be sold as 'white metal' even though it could have a higher silver content than english silver.  If its hallmarked, I can check where and when it was made.  another option is it could possibly be made of pewter.  I sure you don't want to sell it, but it would be nice to know its value...could be worth a few bob, especially if its an original celtic piece.

regards,

andy

[Su]

Hi Andy

There is no hallmark, that's why I wondered if it was the real thing.  You could be right, it could be pewter now I come to think of it ... unfortunately I don't have a digital camera to take a photo, I wonder if I could scan it?  I'll give it a go. 

Pity the Antiques Road Show isn't nearby    Just been watching and a lady had been gardening in a ring worth about £10,000 without knowing it's value 

Su

[Su]

This is the brooch.  Hope I've not made the photo too small.

[Su]

Perfick 

What do you think ?  Real or reproduction ?

I'd love to know what you think.  Does it look silver or pewter ?

Su

[Nessie]

How unusual, it certainly looks Celtic and the colour suggest pewter rather than silver. How modern it is is hard to say without holding it to feel the metal, but it doesn't look like the modern lead free pewter.