A remarkable and highly specific piece of Victorian sporting history — a pair of 18ct gold cufflinks commemorating Royal Ascot's jubilee year of 1888. Each double-faced cufflink features a hand-enamelled portrait of a torch-bearing jockey in full racing colours on the front face, with "Ascot, 1888" engraved on the reverse — a detail that transforms these from decorative objects into genuine historical documents of the Victorian racing world.

Royal Ascot in 1888 was a landmark year in British racing, and commemorative jewellery of this specificity and quality is extraordinarily rare to find intact and in wearable condition. At 14g in 18ct gold with hand-painted enamel work of this quality, these are a serious collector's piece — equally at home in a collection of Victorian sporting memorabilia or worn with pride at the races today.

The Details

• Circa: 1888
• Metal: 18ct gold (hallmarked 18ct)
• Detail: Hand-enamelled jockey in racing colours (front); "Ascot, 1888" engraved (reverse)
• Weight: 14g
• Face dimensions: 1.9 × 1.4cm & 1.7 × 1.3cm