Minton Commemorative Figures

Value (2013) | $5,000$7,000

How did these pieces come to Salt Lake City?

They came via my grandmother, who was from the East Coast. She left them to me when she passed away, and I moved out from the East Coast to Salt Lake City. She told me they were Minton. She told me that she felt that they were very valuable. She also told me that there were very few sets made. I don't know if that's true or not.

Well, I believe she was right. There were very few sets made mainly because they were expensive when they were new, and they were new in 1953. In that year, Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of England. An English sculptor by the name of James Woodford made six-foot high models of these beasts that were called at the time "the queen's beasts." And they stood to attention, if you like, at the entrance to Westminster Abbey. So she and all of the coronation party would have filed past them. And Woodford took his idea from beasts that still exist at Hampton Court. Hampton Court was the royal house of England where the royal family lived before they moved to Buckingham Palace. They're based on a long tradition of using beasts to represent various aspects of heraldry. This one in the center, for instance, represents the lion of England with the shield of the arms of Great Britain on it. This one is the unicorn of Scotland with the heraldic image of Scotland, and across from it is the red dragon of Wales. And they were made as limited editions by the Minton Company. Minton Porcelain was founded in the 1790s and still exists, and it's a very good name in English porcelain. And I think what you've got here is something that is quite rare and I think will certainly gain in value over the years. It's what I like to call an "antique of the future." I estimate the value of the set to be between $4,000 and $6,000.

Oh, gosh. That's great, thank you.

Appraisal Details

Heritage Auctions
Dallas, TX
Value Update (2013)
Appraised value (1999)
Salt Lake City, UT (July 10, 1999)
20th Century






