A pair of historically interesting mid 19th century Mexican ...

Hammer

£600

A pair of historically interesting mid 19th century Mexican silver spurs, with deeply embossed foliate decoration and multi spiked iron rowels, the arms of each finely engraved in flowing script "Su Exelencia Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna", the inside of the arms bearing silver marks, with silver buckles and leather straps. Good Condition. Santa Anna was a prominent though controversial politician who served five spells (some say six) as President of Mexico between 1843 and 1855, playing a notable role in the fall of the First Mexican Empire, the fall of the First Mexican Republic, the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War among other things. He was renowned for frequently switching sides to suit his political ends, and after a series of leadership failures was overthrown and exiled in 1855. The spurs were handed down from a family member who married an American GI during the war and after suffering abuse from him was given them to help pay for her passage back to the UK in 1948. With this lot is a US Treasury Department invoice for bounty paid to John Roberts on discharge from the 1st Mass(achusetts) Vol(unteers) in 1872 (slightly creased and torn), and a print out of the Wikipedia entry on Santa Anna. £600-900