Tiny 18-Inch Post Box Stars at Prestigious London Antiques Fair

A miniature post box, dating back to 1875 and standing only 18 inches high, is drawing significant attention at the LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair in London. This rare item is among thousands of antiques available to collectors at the prestigious event.

The pillar box, a quarter of the height of a standard postal pillar, is notable for being painted in Royal Mail's signature red. Miniature post boxes from that era were more commonly found in their natural wood finish, making this example particularly unusual.

Antiques dealer Mark Goodger, who is selling the post box for £17,500, explained that such small letter boxes were typically used in country houses and their surrounding villages, often placed in foyers for residents and locals to post mail. He described it as "one of the best examples I’ve ever seen" and believes its red paint signifies its rarity.

The item was created less than two decades after the first pillar post box was designed in 1856 by artist Richard Redgrave. While its provenance was not fully documented when Goodger acquired it, he noted that this is not uncommon for items of its age.

Other significant items on display at the fair include a silver-mounted horn casket presented to King Edward VII in 1901. Originally commissioned for Queen Victoria, the casket was created from bullock horn and hallmarked silver gilt straps.

A Leuchars coromandel decanter from 1880, featuring the crest of the McCarthy Reagh family, is also featured. Additionally, a small papier-mâché tea caddy from 1793 by Henry Clay England, adorned with a low-relief plaster portrait of King Louis XVI, highlights the period's fascination with the French Revolution.

The LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair, established in 2009, is organized by the UK's largest association of art and antiques dealers and attracts international collectors, designers, and cultural enthusiasts.