Maker · silver
Nathaniel Mills
Birmingham's best known maker of small boxes. Mills' castle-top card cases, vinaigrettes and snuff boxes, with their engraved and repoussé views of abbeys and cathedrals, are collected as a field in themselves.
- Mark
- NM in a rectangle
- Active
- 1826 to 1856
- Place
- Birmingham
- Typical range
- £150 for a plain vinaigrette to £3,000 for a rare castle-top
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, open access
Nathaniel Mills registered his mark in Birmingham in 1826 and worked until the mid-1850s, when the firm passed to his sons. His workshop specialised in the small, precise objects Birmingham did best: card cases, snuff boxes, vinaigrettes, nutmeg graters and pill boxes, made in thin sheet silver and decorated by stamping, engraving and engine turning.
What to look for
NM in a rectangle, with the Birmingham anchor, lion passant, date letter and duty mark, inside the lid or on the base. The “castle-top” pieces carry a view in relief on the lid: Windsor Castle, Warwick Castle, Abbotsford, York Minster, Newstead Abbey and a few dozen others. The rarer the view, the higher the price.
What moves the price
The view, the crispness of the relief, and whether the piece is a card case, a vinaigrette or a snuff box. Vinaigrettes should have their pierced gilt grille intact. Card cases with well-struck views of unusual buildings are the top of the market. Engine-turned pieces without a view are the entry point. Damage to the thin sheet, especially split hinges and dents to the relief, matters more here than on heavier silver.
Sale prices
Mills at auction.
Hammer, excluding premium.
| Date | Object | Saleroom | Estimate | Hammer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jul 2026 | Nathaniel Mills castle-top card case, Birmingham 1845 Lot 102 | Sussex | £400 to £600 | £640 |