Description

A scarce and elegant pair of  silver-gilt auricles ( aka: mini ear trumpets) sold under the name of “Acoustiphone”–see advert in next-to-last image. The case is not the orginal one but nicely suits the auricles.  They are  unmarked but unquestionably an Acoustiphone product. There is a set screw on each that allows the length of the shaft and angle of the trumpet bell to be adjusted to suit the needs of the user–see 4th image. The bell of each is struck with an indecipherable maker’s mark and  twice with the crab, a mark used after 1838 in France for small objects fabricated from 800 silver  Sterling is 925 silver and was and is widely used in the UK and the USA. On the continent  800 silver was and is more commonly used.  The gilding on the auricles has taken on a warm and mellow patina over the years.  The little ad we’ve included with the images references a 1910 award. The auricles were introduced earlier but were still in production at the beginning of the last century.