About
Alastair started his career in silver in the early 1970’s as a porter at Phillips Auctioneers who were the third largest auction house in the UK after Sotheby’s and Christie’s. This was probably the best training anyone could ever have simply because Phillips had a silver sale every Friday of the year. In each sale there were always over 200 lots and a single lot might contain a varying number of pieces. The learning curve was not only steep but hugely enjoyable. He got to know all the dealers as well as private collectors and would bid for both if either was not able to attend the sale or simply wanted anonymity.
It wasn’t long before he was promoted to cataloguer which involved not only researching and writing up silver for the weekly sales but also carrying out valuations all over the country. Finally, he progressed to taking auctions, an experience he found exhilarating if not exhausting. In 1982 he left the auction world to join a new company dealing in fine silver called ADC Heritage but when an opportunity came to join Asprey the following year he moved to head up their Antique Silver department. This was a major step up in his career as he was now buying the finest pieces frequently in the six-figure bracket. After 13 very happy years at this extraordinary famous and luxury business there were warning signs that all was not well. It was time to think about starting up on his own so in 1996 with the help of his invaluable assistant at Asprey, Melanie Cuchet, they formed Alastair Dickenson Fine Silver with delightful premises in Jermyn Street. They were backed by one of the most famous property tycoons and well-known art and antique collector Harry Hyams.
Alastair Dickenson
Harry had been a client at Asprey and had an astonishingly good eye for what was fine and/or unusual. Running one’s own business was also a big learning curve but the company became very successful dealing with many of the biggest silver collectors in the world.
Alastair’s first appearance on television was in 1976 in a BBC2 Year-long documentary about the village of Heddington in Wiltshire. Part of this series dealt with the sale of an Elizabeth I silver-gilt tankard to raise funds for restoring the church roof. Alastair was filmed with representatives from the Church and Village at the Silver department of Phillips Auctioneers resulting in a world record auction price for such a piece, £21,000.
In 1991 Alastair was invited to have an interview with the BBC about appearing on the Antiques Roadshow. After an unnerving screen test in which he was asked to talk about a piece of jewellery rather than silver he joined the team. This was an enduring association that lasted over 30 years and helped promote his position within the world of silver.
With this increased prominence Alastair was asked to join The Antique Plate Committee at The Goldsmiths’ Hall which was the adjudicating body set up to give official opinions over questionable objects sent in from auctioneers, dealers, institutions and private individuals. As he had always been fascinated by fakes and forgeries this was also an unparalleled experience in gathering information and learning how and why silver was made to deceive. One of his greatest honours was be asked to value the collection of The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. Similarly, a number of valuations were undertaken for other Livery Companies as well as Cambridge Colleges and many other institutions.
As a representative of the Goldsmiths’ Company he took part in an early morning police raid on a shop in Chester where a quantity of fake snuff boxes was discovered along with tortoiseshell that was in fact plastic.
The combination of all the above has given Alastair a considerable breadth of experience but he is always mindful that his opinions are sometimes given with caution. There are always pieces that may confound and the best policy is to admit one’s own uncertainty.
We hope that these 5 decades of experience will give our customers the peace of mind that our stock is not only thoroughly checked and researched but that it is rare and fine.
Expertise & Experience
Alastair's expertise extends well beyond buying and selling. He is a Freeman and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and a Freeman of the City of London. He is also a former member of the Court and a current Liveryman of the Company of Art Scholars.
His professional appointments and advisory roles have included:
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Former member of the Council of the British Antique Dealers Association
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Former Chairman of Silver Vetting at the November Olympia Antiques Fair
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Former Silver Vetting Committee member for Masterpiece Art and Antiques Fair
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Expert Adviser to the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
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Expert Adviser to H.M. Government on silver accepted in lieu of tax
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Former and longest-serving member, and now Special Adviser, to the Goldsmiths' Hallmarking Authentication Committee, formerly the Antique Plate Committee at Goldsmiths' Hall
Alastair has also contributed introductions to several books and produced Antique Silver and the Law for the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. This practical guide examines the principal categories of fakes and provides guidance on how to identify them.
He has been a principal speaker at the annual Fakes and Forgeries Seminar at Goldsmiths' Hall for almost every year since the seminar was established.
Many viewers will also recognise Alastair from the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, where he appeared as a silver expert for more than 30 years.