THE first of what will be twice-yearly sales of Irish and English silver was held by Woodwards of Cork on March 12th. The day's top price of £9,500 was given for a rare William & Mary plain silver tankard by William Goble of Cork around 1700. Also from Cork and dating from around 1770, a George III baluster-shaped coffee pot by John Nicholson sold for £6 000.

There were more than 70 Cork pieces among the 260 lots and among the other items to sell well were a number which each made £1 400. These included: a three-legged salver by George Hodder, circa 1760, a George III loving cup by Stephen Walsh, circa 1749; a helmet-shaped cream, jug by Carden Terry and his daughter, Jane Williams, from and a sauceboat by John and Samuel Nicholson, circa 1780. A Cork, sauceboat by Patrick Ryan, circa 1775, made £1,200 and a Cork pedestal sugar bowl by John Warner from around the same date sold for £900.