AA Auctions

Pot Lid:   'W. GOYNE STEVENS, BRIGHTON'

Description:  A striking and exceptionally rare building pictorial 'Oriental Tooth Paste' lid featuring the North Gate of Brighton's famous Royal Pavilion in great detail. Excellent quality print. Larger variant with fancy border. Only a handful of these lids recorded. This one being the actual lid featured in the pot lid book (page 590). One not to miss!

 ** These lid listings are in memory of keen pot lid collector Paul Archer who sadly passed away last month and will be missed by us all **

Invaluable help and extra information has been provided to these pot lid listings by the authors of the fabulous book: 'Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids' by Houghton, Layden & Taylor - Thoroughly recommended at just £70 (softback).  

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:    85mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Very good/Excellent   Great overall condition with just a pretty insignificant hard to spot ultra-fine hairline on the back rim (that only goes 9mm up the side wall and not near the top at all) and a couple of very minor in-manufacture fleabite flakes on the back rim edge (hardly worth mentioning as all but hidden by the glaze) and is otherwise mint

Grade:   9.0       Estimate:  £1-1.5k+      Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'PARRIS & GREENING, WEST BRIGHTON'

Description:  Another great building pictorial lid from this popular East Sussex coastal resort, this time a cold cream variant featuring the impressive Hove town hall (that was adjacent to Parris & Greening's chemist shop). Often considered amongst the best of UK's building pictorials. Rare and desirable. Again, the actual lid featured in the pot lid book (p592)

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:    74mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Good/Very good   Just has two (3-5mm) thin slivvers/flakes on the very back of the rim (with a couple of minor fleabites nearby) and a small (2mm x 3mm) flake on the back rim edge (also quite close) and all but hidden from rear view and not seen at all on display and is otherwise very good indeed with just some in-manufacture minor 'yellowing/fine crazing' in the glaze (mostly on the back with just a little on the sides) and a very small burst glaze bubble on the underside. As can be seen in the photos, all quite minor and nothing to detract when on display   

Grade:   8.0       Estimate:  £1-1.2k+      Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'HAUNTED HOUSE'

Description:  An appealing cherry tooth paste pot lid featuring what has been aptly called the 'haunted house' with the lettering around it having that 'spooky' feel too. Also featuring cherries around the outside. Very cleverly designed to great effect (and without the added numbers in the print that often obscure the pictorial). Fabulous layout. Double line border

Era:  c1890-1900's

Diameter:   70mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Very good/Excellent  Great overall condition with just a small (3mm x 5mm) thin flake on the very back of the rim (99% hidden from rear view and not seen at all on display) and is otherwise mint (nb a tiny and totally insignificant fleabite on the inside of the back rim is mostly glazed over and totally in manufacture)

Grade:   9.0      Estimate:   £80-100        Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:     'J. SHOOLBRED & COMPANY, LONDON'

Description:  An appealing lid featuring a mosque and palm trees and then below it a fabulous picture of Shoolbred's shopfront. Very similar in design to that of the far more familiar Lorimer's. Exceptional print quality and attractive overall design. Scarce

Era:  c1880-90's

Diameter:   82mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Repaired  Has had a medium (8mm x 18mm) chip on the outer edge of the face (at 2 o'clock) repaired and touched up to a good standard (with some overspray on the back making it difficult to tell if there was any further damage)

Grade:  Ungraded   Estimate:   £40-60     Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'MAY, ROBERTS & CO, LONDON'

Description:  An appealing pictorial lid from May Roberts & Co featuring a young girl leaning over a wall with cherries below. A real classic. Decent quality print. Double-line border. Scarcely found in mint condition

Era:  c1880-1900's

Diameter:  68mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Mint   Superb undamaged mint condition

Grade:   9.8      Estimate:   £100-150     Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'ST PAUL'S BRAND'

Description:  A very attractive Areca Nut Tooth Paste pot lid featuring a fabulous picture of the iconic St Paul's Cathedral in London. Excellent quality print. Double line border. 

Era:  c1880-1890's

Diameter:   78mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good   Just has some slight crazing/staining on areas of the outer rim (and a small (15mm long) area of rubbing also on the side rim edge along with some in-manufacture tiny grey dots) which as can be seen in the photos doesn't detract too much and is otherwise excellent

Grade:  8.9        Estimate:   £60-80        Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'LEWIS, WATKINS & CO, WORCESTER'

Description:  A rather imposing and exceptionally rare large anchovy paste lid from Worcester featuring the city's coat of arms (and latin inscription below). Excellent quality print. Fancy border. Only a handful of these lids recorded. See p 657 of pot lid book

Era:  c1860-75 (business traded as just 'Lewis & Co' after the mid-1870's)

Diameter:    103mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):    Repaired   It's difficult to determine the extent of any repairs as at first glance it doesn't look repaired at all. There is a long thin (4mm x 38mm) deep glaze scrape on the side wall of the back rim and a subtle bluey tint on the outside edge of the face. Upon closer examination it does look like a section has been repaired to a high standard on the face edge (between 10 and 11 o'clock) and the odd part of the back rim and underside of outer rim seem to have some overspray too, but all to a high standard and is otherwise very good indeed with just two small adjacent fleabites on the outer edge at around 4 o'clock. Looks great on display  

Grade:  Ungraded    Estimate:  £80-£100    Reserve:  N/R

Pot Lid:   'DANIEL MELIA'

Description:  A classic lid featuring an attractive girl with long wavy hair and an alluring smile (no doubt attributable to using this brand of toothpaste). Decent quality print (with just some thicker glaze in places). Scarce

Daniel Melia built a chain of successful grocery outlets in a number towns in the north-west and midlands. This is why this tooth paste pot lid does not feature any locations as it was possible to sell it from all the company’s outlets

Era:  c1880-1890's

Diameter:    76mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Repaired   Has been professionally repaired (to a very high standard indeed). Upon close inspection with a strong magnifying glass you can just make out an area outside the border (between 6 and 8 o'clock) and possibly on the back rim itself in the odd area. But all done to a professional standard 

Grade:  Ungraded   Estimate:   £80-100   Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:     'F. NEWBERY & SONS, LONDON'

Description:  An attractive pictorial lid from this London retailer featuring an ancient looking sailing craft with cliffs and a lighthouse in the background. Fabulous overall layout accentuating the design to great effect. Double line border. Decent quality print

Era:    c1880-1890's

Diameter:    72mm  

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good    Just has some wear/nibbles on the inside edge of the back rim (so not seen at all on display) and is otherwise excellent

Grade:  8.5       Estimate:   £40-60        Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'ST GEORGE'S OINTMENT'

Description:   A rare ointment lid featuring St George and the dragon used for 'scalds, burns, wounds and sores of all kinds'. 'Harold & Co' signature below pictorial. Single line border. 

Era:  c1890-1900's

Diameter:    78mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Repaired  Had major glaze wear issues on the face which have been totally restored/repainted to a very high standard indeed 

Grade:  Ungraded   Estimate:   £60-80   Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:      'MARTIN MAGOR, BIRMINGHAM'

Description:   An attractive Tooth Paste lid from this West Midlands city featuring the head of a 'Hindoo' man as a pictorial. A 'Martin Magor' variant with the Corporation St address included. It also states that 'No people have such nice teeth and are so careful in cleaning them as the Hindoos'. Good decent print (with just the odd small smudge). 

Era:   c1890-1900's

Diameter:    80mm 

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Repaired   Just has a medium (10-20mm) area on the outside edge of the face that has been repairted and touched up and is otherwise good with just some glaze-pitting on the underside of the back 

Grade:  Ungraded   Estimate:   £20-40   Reserve:    N/R

Pot Lid:   'J.R. KIRK, LOW HARROGATE'

Description:  A desirable and classic rectangular pot lid featuring a fabulous picture of a Victorian bristle tooth brush and from this famous spa town in North Yorkshire. Superb quality print. Great overall design. Scarce to see in such great condition, you'll struggle to find a better all round example

Era:  c1890-1900's

Dimensions:    93mm long and 60mm wide

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Excellent/Near mint   Superb condition with just a totally insignificant pinhead fleabite on one of the back edge corners (barely visible and hardly worth mentioning) and is otherwise mint

Grade:  9.6    Estimate:   £300-400+     Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   'BREIDENBACH & CO, LONDON'

Description:  A very impressive 'ALBAROSE' tooth paste pot lid from this well documented London manufacturing chemist and perfumer. Fabulous detailed pictorial of girl's head with head scarf. Appealing light grey background. Great quality print. Has usual Staffordshire alignment dots at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock on edge of face). Not often seen with original gold band  

Era:  c1884+

Diameter:    91mm

Condition (please see detailed photo's):  Very good   Just has a pretty insignificant small (4mm x 4mm) shallow flake on the back rim edge (not seen on display) and is otherwise excellent with just some patches of very subtle greyness (mainly on part of the underside and side wall) 

Grade:  8.8      Estimate: £300-400+       Reserve:   N/R

Pot Lid:   SHOOTING DUCKS

Description:  An attractive 'Tooth Paste' pot lid featuring a couple of men in a punt on the river, with the one at the back shooting at birds. Superb quality print. Decorative border. Slightly larger variant to ones seen before. 

Era:  c1890-1900's

Diameter:   80mm  

Condition (please see detailed photo's):   Good/Very good   Just has some glaze-wear on the outer edge of the upper rim in places (and some tiny spots of brown grit in the glaze on the face that are totally in-manufacture)

Grade:  8.0         Estimate:   £20-40         Reserve:  N/R