The 1906 silver rococo style épergne, above, by James Dixon, Sheffield, standing 21in (54cm) tall and weighing 222oz, went to a private buyer at a top-estimate €10,000 (£9010).
More of a surprise was the Bonzo Bank money box, also above, made by Saalheimer & Strauss in the 1920s-’30s. The 7in (18cm) tall bank was inscribed to the front Press the lever lightly/ Watch my tongue appear/ Save a penny nightly/ Make your fortune here.
Catalogued as rare, these ‘tombstone’ toys with the trademark stamp Germany SS do appear from time to time. The best known examples depict Mickey Mouse. One of these Bonzo boxes took £1000 at Bonhams seven years ago, which may have influenced the €1000-1500 estimate, but evidently there has been collector inflation since then. The bank sold to a collector at €8500 (£7660).
