Scottish Agricultural Prize Medal – Ayrshire Herd Book Society Solid Silver c.1890s
Ayrshire Herd Book Society Prize Medal
Late Victorian Scottish Silver Agricultural Award by Henry Griffith & Sons, Circa 1890s
Highlights
• Impressive silver prize medal associated with the Ayrshire Herd Book Society.
• Detailed agricultural relief featuring a cow and calf in a pastoral setting.
• Pierced border decorated with thistles and Celtic-inspired interlacing.
• Victorian maker’s mark attributed to Henry Griffith & Sons.
• Surface analysis recorded approximately 99.681% silver at the tested point.
• Remnants of a historic gilt finish add warmth and tonal contrast.
• Substantial collector’s medal measuring approximately 64 mm in diameter.
• Weighs approximately 68.4 grams.
• Supplied with a period fitted leatherette presentation case.
• Strong interest for collectors of Scottish silver, agricultural history and prize medals.
Introduction
Combining Scottish identity, agricultural history and accomplished Victorian metalwork, this substantial prize medal was produced for the Ayrshire Herd Book Society during the closing decades of the 19th century.
A cow and calf occupy the central rural scene, surrounded by a pierced decorative border of thistles and Celtic-style interlacing. The richly worked design creates considerable visual presence, while traces of earlier gilding remain visible within protected passages.
The medal is accompanied by a fitted period presentation case and has been professionally examined using a Thermo Scientific precious-metal analysis instrument.
Catalogue Details
Organisation: Ayrshire Herd Book Society
Maker: Attributed from the mark to Henry Griffith & Sons, Birmingham
Period: Late Victorian
Proposed Date: Circa 1890s
Material: Silver, verified through XRF surface analysis
Recorded Reading: Approximately 99.681% Ag at the tested surface
Decoration: Cow and calf within a rural landscape
Border Design: Pierced Scottish thistles and Celtic-style knotwork
Inscription: “AYRSHIRE HERD BOOK SOCIETY”
Hallmark Status: No complete British statutory hallmark sequence visible
Case: Period fitted leatherette presentation case
Catalogue Note
The medal’s central scene belongs to the established tradition of British agricultural imagery in which prized livestock were presented within an idealised rural landscape.
A mature cow stands beside her calf, their forms modelled in pronounced relief. The surrounding field and agricultural details place the animals within a productive working landscape rather than an abstract decorative setting.
The pierced outer border is especially distinctive. Thistle heads and leaves communicate the medal’s Scottish identity, while interlaced ornament gives the surround a rhythmic, almost architectural quality.
Evidence of gilding survives within sheltered areas and recesses. These warm traces provide an attractive contrast with the exposed silver surface and suggest that the medal’s original appearance may have been more richly coloured.
Its unusually substantial size and weight give it the presence of a commemorative cabinet object as well as a competitive award.
Agricultural Shows And Pedigree Breeding
The Ayrshire is a Scottish dairy breed originating in the south-west of the country.
The Ayrshire Cattle Society created its Herd Book in 1877. By formally recording ancestry and descendants, the organisation contributed to the establishment and improvement of recognised pedigree lines.
Late Victorian agricultural shows combined competition, trade and public spectacle. Successful livestock could enhance a breeder’s standing and increase the reputation and commercial desirability of an established herd.
Prize medals acted as permanent records of recognised achievement. An award connected with a Herd Book society therefore represents the wider Victorian movement towards organised breed standards, documented lineage and professional livestock management.
Henry Griffith & Sons
The visible maker’s mark is attributed to Henry Griffith & Sons, a Birmingham precious-metal firm whose history began in 1850.
Henry Griffith registered marks with the Birmingham Assay Office, and the business subsequently produced jewellery and other silver and precious-metal objects over an extended period.
Because the medal does not carry a complete visible sequence of statutory assay and date marks, the precise year of manufacture cannot be established through hallmark evidence alone.
The proposed circa 1890s date reflects the maker attribution, decorative style and historical context of the Ayrshire Herd Book Society.
Metal Testing
The medal has been examined using a Thermo Scientific precious-metal analysis instrument.
The tested area returned an approximate surface reading of 99.681% silver. A certificate recording the analysis has been retained and accompanies the catalogue documentation.
XRF testing is a non-destructive analytical method that measures elemental composition at or near the tested surface. The result provides strong evidence of a high silver content at that location but does not replace a statutory hallmark or establish that every part of the object has identical composition.
Provenance
Northern Shires dealer’s collection, Yorkshire.
Professionally analysed using a Thermo Scientific precious-metal analyser, with certificate retained.
Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.
Dimensions
Medal: Approximately 64 mm in diameter
Weight: Approximately 68.4 grams
Presentation case: 9.5 cm wide × 9.5 cm deep × 2 cm high
Presentation
The medal is housed within a fitted leatherette presentation case believed to be original or contemporary.
The interior is traditionally finished in silk and velvet, providing an attractive contrast with the metal and allowing the medal to be displayed safely when the case is opened.
Condition Report
Good overall antique condition with wear consistent with its Victorian date and previous handling.
The medal displays fine surface marks, scratches, rubbing and naturally developed tarnish. Darker patination remains within the detailed relief and openwork border, enhancing the definition of the design.
Surviving traces of gilding are visible in protected recesses. It has not been possible to determine the medal’s complete original finish or the extent of any historic polishing.
The presentation case displays expected age-related wear and marks but continues to present the medal effectively.
Photographs form part of the condition report and should be examined carefully before purchase.
Shipping
Professional insured delivery is available throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.
The medal and fitted case will be securely protected for transit and dispatched using a tracked and insured service wherever available.
Please contact us if further shipping information or an international quotation is required.
Attribution And Research Notice
The maker, date, material description, identification of the depicted animals and historical observations contained within this catalogue entry represent the professional, non-guaranteed opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. The date of circa 1890s is based upon stylistic assessment, the interpreted maker’s mark and historical context. The absence of a complete visible British hallmark sequence prevents an exact assay date from being assigned.
The attribution to Henry Griffith & Sons is based upon comparison of the visible mark with recorded maker’s marks. The stated silver percentage records the result obtained from XRF analysis of the tested surface area. It should not be understood as a statutory assay, hallmark or guarantee of uniform composition throughout the medal. The presentation case is considered period and believed to be original, although its association is not independently documented. Future specialist, documentary or metallurgical examination may confirm, expand or revise the present conclusions.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art. Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.
Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.
