Heavy Metal: Auction of Tiffany Silver, Antique Armor Outshines Wall Street Commodities

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Mar 05, 2012, 02:42 ET

DENVER, Pa., March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The term 'heavy metal' took on a whole new meaning at a recent Pennsylvania auction in which four pieces of circa-1882 Tiffany silver hammered nearly a quarter-million dollars.

Offered consecutively, a pair of sterling candelabra sold for $111,600 against an estimate of $60,000-$80,000; followed by a pair of silver bowls that were bid to $134,000 – more than twice the high estimate of $60,000. All four pieces exhibited the impeccable artistry for which antique Tiffany silver is so renowned.

"We knew the silver was special and of fantastic quality. There was tremendous interest, both before and during the auction," said Morphy Auctions CEO Dan Morphy. "Even when the bidding on each of the Tiffany lots reached $80,000, there were still four active players, and at $90,000, there were three."

The two-day auction of antiques, art and vintage collectibles drew 1,800 unique bidders and grossed $1,620,000, with the aforementioned Tiffany pieces earning $246,000.

After the auction, Morphy received several calls from silver aficionados who told him the candlesticks had easily outperformed an identical single example that appeared in a high-profile auction last year. "Apparently one candelabrum exactly like those in our auction sold for around $20,000 at one of the big New York auction houses several months ago. They're obviously much more desirable as a pair."

In counterpoint to the fine silver was the lifetime antique armor collection consigned by Hollywood animator and film director Frank Andrina. "Armor is very much a European-based collectible. We were anxious to show that we could tap into the international market. As it turned out, many bidders were European, and during both the silver and armor sections of the sale, there were sometimes 14 and 15 phone lines in use," Morphy said.

A circa-1580 German two-handed sword easily exceeded expectations at $21,600; while a circa-16th-century mace constructed entirely of hand-forged steel doubled expectations at $16,800. An Italian or German Savoyard-style helmet with cut-out holes for the eyes was expected to reach $4,000-$8,000 but went the extra mile to $15,600.

Antique and vintage guns attracted so many potential bidders to the sale that both parking lots were filled to capacity. An immaculate early to mid-19th-century Leonard Reedy Kentucky rifle sold for a staggering $76,800; a powder horn from the French & Indian War made $21,600 against an estimate of $400-$800.

www.morphyauctions.com

SOURCE Morphy Auctions