A Rare Gold Presentation Snuff Box or Tobacco Box gifted to Anthony Eden by King Peter II of Yugoslavia in London, in December 1942, in 15 carat gold, bearing the royal cipher of Peter II, with the inscription ‘To Anthony Eden, with Best Wishes for a Happy Christmas and New Year’, engraved signature ‘Peter R.’ and ‘London 1942’ below on lid, interior bearing maker’s mark ‘JSB’ (James Samuel Bell, gold & silversmith of Gerrard Street, London) and London 15-carat (.625) hallmarks dated 1910 (‘p’), 125g, 93.8mm width by 77.6mm height, light surface hairlines throughout and occasional tiny contact marks at corners, good very fine Peter II Karađorđević was born in Belgrade on 6 September 1923, the son of King Alexander I and Maria of Romania. He acceded to the throne of Yugoslavia in 1934 after the assassination of his father, and a regency was established under his cousin Prince Paul until Peter II later came of age. Prince Paul aligned Yugoslavia with Germany and its allies in March 1941 through the Tripartite Pact, after which Paul was removed in a coup d’etat, thereby ending the regency – after which Peter II was installed as ruling monarch at the age of 17. Axis forces then invaded Yugoslavia ten days later, after which Peter II and his court fled to Britain, establishing a government in exile in London in June 1941. Completing his education at Cambridge University, he then joined the Royal Air Force.Anthony Eden served as the British Foreign Secretary between 1935 and 1938, resigning in protest against Neville Chamberlain’s decision to come to friendly terms with Mussolini’s Italy. Appointed Secretary of State for War in 1940 under Churchill (later following him as Prime Minister in April 1955), he returned to the position of Foreign Secretary, undertaking various important diplomatic and administrative wartime roles. Amongst these, in mid-1941 he was asked to mediate in negotiations between the governments in exile of Yugoslavia, Greece and Bulgaria regarding the possible formation of a ‘Balkan Union’. Although the union did not come to pass, it would appear that King Peter II and Anthony Eden became well-acquainted at that time, as King Peter II’s government in exile relied heavily upon British support. It is likely that this gift, given in December 1942, was given in recognition of that support provided by Anthony Eden through his role as Foreign Secretary.

Estimate: GBP 4000 - 6000