Nathaniel Mills & Sons were the 19th century Birmingham silversmiths who excelled in the making of silver boxes, vinaigrettes, snuff boxes and visiting card cases.
History Nathaniel Mills the Elder (1746–1843) was a partner in Mills & Langston, Northwood Jewellers when he registered his first mark in 1803.Birmingham Silversmiths: Nathaniel Mills In 1825, he registered his well-known now punch mark 'N.M' within a rectangle at the Birmingham Assay Office and concentrated on working with silver on his own.Cliff Proctor. Nathaniel Mills: The King of Castle Tops Mills contributed to popularization of the so-called castle-top silver vinaigrettes and visiting card cases engraved with British landmarks and sold as souvenirs to tourists; he became one of the most prolific Birmingham box makers at the time introducing different designs.Victoriana from Dublin’s Fair City, The Irish WorldRoland Arkell. Card Cases, Antiques Trade GazetteRiley, Noël. Visiting Card Cases. Guildford: Lutterworth Press, 1983.
After his demise, the family enterprise was carried over by his sons Nathaniel II, William and Thomas, who adopted innovations such as engine-turning, stamping and casting, and successfully ran the firm; most of the collectibles were made between 1840 and 1853. He also owned a good bakery just out of Princeton.Nathaniel Mills, master craftsmen of silver boxes, 14 May 2014. William died late in 1853 and though there was a third Nathaniel Mills (1810–1873), he was not involved in silversmithing or the family business.Nathaniel Mills Famous 19th Century Silversmith, eBay Guides
Recognition Silver pieces produced by Nathaniel Mills & Sons are exhibited in the Birmingham Assay Office,The Silver Collection, Birmingham Assay Office at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and are sought after by individual collectors.Nathaniel Mills Antique Silver Among most popular are Nathaniel Mills castle top vinaigrettes and visiting card cases. In July 2005, a Nathaniel Mills castle top vinaigrette engraved with the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London was sold for £8,000.Kings of the castle-tops, Antiques Trade Gazette, 13 December 2008.
Gallery
References
Silver Castle Top Card Cases