Nathaniel Mills Double Castle Top Card Case

This is a fine example of a Nathaniel Mills silver castle top card case. The box has two scenes for the price of one with Warwick Castle on one side & Kenilworth Castle on the other. The quality of this case is superb with a snug fitting hinged cover. It is in excellent condition throughout with clear marks for the best of the Birmingham box makers.

This fine quality card case is engraved to each of the four sides: two vertical edges with the initials of the recipient (& presumably the giver) to the vertical lengths, a crest to the top and the date "1839" to the underside.

Warwick Castle was built by William The Conqueror in 1068 and overlooks the River Avon from its’ cliff top location. The castle was owned by the Earls of Warwick from 1088 until 1978, the most famous of which was Richard Neville (the 16th Earl also known as the “Kingmaker”) who in the 14th Century imprisoned King Edward IV within the castle.  The castle was converted to a country house in the early 17thC, however the impressive four towered fortifications remain largely intact and the castle has been a popular tourist attraction since the mid- 19th Century. The view on this card case is of the East Façade from the River Avon showing the main residences with Caesar’s Tower and Guy’s Tower on the right hand side. 

The massive keep of Kenilworth Castle was built during the1120's. The castle was further fortified by King John between 1210 and 1215, which enabled the occupants to hold out for an epic siege against the army of Henry III in 1266. The greatest period of fame for the castle came during the reign of Elizabeth I when one of her favourites - Robert Dudley, turned the castle in to a great Renaissance "prodigy house". The celebrated Scottish novelist Walter Scott wrote a novel about the decaying castle in 1821 entitled "Kenilworth" ensuring the popularity of Kenilworth Castle for tourists during the 19th century.