Photo Credit: ricou251
Antique French Sterling Silver Liquor Goblets, Set of 12, Late 19th
Buy It Now Price: $295 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This is a complete set of one dozen antique French silver cordial cups made by the Parisian firm Henin & Cie during the late 19th or early 20th century. Small cordial cups like the ones featured here were often used at Belle Époque parties for expensive alcohol like sherry or liqueurs.
-The somewhat restrained, neo-classical decoration and the hallmarks are both completely consistent with a late 19th or early 20th century date and French manufacture.
-All the pieces of the set are undamaged, with only modest wear. This has a massively positive impact on the investability of the set.
-These pieces are made from solid silver of the French 1st standard - 95% fine. This is a higher fineness than British sterling silver (92.5% fine). With a total weight of 314 grams (10.09 troy ounces) for the complete set, the bullion value comes to approximately $144 (with spot silver at $15 a troy ounce). This high intrinsic value represents a compelling, low risk case for investing.
-These silver cordial cups measure 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) tall by 1.3 inches (3.3 centimeters) wide. Although rather small, each individual cup weighs a hefty 26 grams (0.84 troy ounces) of solid silver. This substantial weight is indicative of the good quality of the set.
-Antique Continental European silver is extremely undervalued in today's alternative asset market. It is sometimes possible to buy good investment grade pieces - like this set - for only $200 or $300.
Cons:
-Each cup in the set is monogrammed, which some collectors of antique silver dislike. I personally believe monograms ground antique silver in its historical context and either has a neutral or slightly positive impact on pricing.
-The set would be significantly more valuable if it came with its original storage box. Unfortunately in this instance, the original case appears to have been lost to the ravages of time.
-This set of silver cordial cups might have limited usefulness today, unless you intend to serve your party guests shots of hard liquor. Of course, if you did find a way to use these stylish cordial cups at a dinner party, they would quickly become a talking point.
