An interesting antique Russian silver cigarette case with gold and enamel appliques from the World War I period. The case belonged to American Red Cross surgeon General Dr. Philip Newton.
At the beginning of the war, General Newton was in charge of American Red Cross ambulance truck shipments from US to Russia. Around 1915, he entered the Russian military service in the rank of a General. Interestingly, Philip Newton was the youngest General of the Russian Imperial Army at that time. He was 27 or 28 years old. General Newton served as a commander of the motorized Red Cross American brigade under the patronage of Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna (daughter of tsar Nicholas II). He personally knew Grand Duchesses, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Gregory Rasputine.
Philip Newton received several Imperial Russian military awards, including St Anna sword with inscription FOR BRAVERY, Order of St Anna 3rd class with swords, Order of St Vladimir 4th class with swords.
On January 22, 1915, Philip Newton married Russian Princes Helen Shahofkaya, who volunteered to serve as a nurse in a Kievian hospital, which was operated by the American Society.
They left Russia in the late 1917.
It was popular in the early 20th century, to decorate cigarette cases with small emblems which were meaningful to their owners. Such emblems were custom made by jewelers.
All appliques on this case are of very fine quality.
The lid is applied in the center with a gold and enamel seal of Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) flanked by enameled gold Russian and American flags, a gold cipher of Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna (T and H beneath Imperial crown), two gold and red guilloche enamel crosses with swords of the Orders of St Anna and St Vladimir, a gold symbol of medicine – caduceus, and a gold American eagle.
Данный серебряный портсигар принадлежал американскому врачу Красного Креста Филиппy Ньютону, который во время Первой Мировой Войны был на службе в Русской армии в чине генерала. В возрасте 27 или 28 лет, он являлся самым молодым генералом в армии. В начале войны, Ньютон руководил поставками грузовиков для России по линии американского Красного Креста. В 1915-1917, он командовал Американской моторизованной санитарной бригадой Великой Княгини Татьяны Николаевны (дочери Николая II). Ньютон был лично знаком с императрицей Александрой Фёдоровной, великими княгинями, другими членами царской семьи, а так же с Григорием Распутиным. Генерал был награждён Аннинским оружием с надписью ЗА ХРАБРОСТЬ и орденами Св. Анны 3 степени с мечами, Св. Владимира 4 степени с мечами.
22 Января 1915, Филипп Ньютон сочетался браком с княгиней Еленой Шаховской, которая работала сестрой-волонтёром в Киевском госпитале под руководством Ньютона.
Ньютон покинул Россию в конце 1917 года.
Крышка портсигара украшена золотой с эмалью печатью Джоржтаунского университета (Вашингтон), флагами России и США в золоте и эмали, золотым вензелем Великой Княгини Татьяны Николаевны, миниатюрными орденами Св. Анны и Св. Владимира с мечами в золоте и гильяшированной эмали, золотым символом медицины и золотым американским орлом.
Dr. Philip Newton, circa 1916, in Russian military uniform of a General, with cross of St Anna Order and St Anna sword FOR BRAVERY.
The gold thumbpiece is set with a cabochon sapphire.
The silver cigarette case was made in St. Petersburg in 1904. The gold and enamel appliques were added later, during the World War I between 1914 and 1917.
The case is marked with 84 zolotniks standard (875 silver), 56 zolotniks (14K – 583 gold), St Petersburg assayers’ initials of Alexander Romanov and Yakov Liapunov, master’s initials ‘ JA ‘ for Johan (Ivan) Allenius (born in Finland, between 1894 and 1908 owned a silver workshop at Razjezhaya Street 21).
Finely engraved gold cipher of Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia (1897-1918), daughter of Tsar Nicholas II – interlaced letters ‘T’ and ‘H’ in stylized Old Slavonic script.
Miniature Russian Order of St Vladimir with Swords in gold and red guilloche enamel.
Enameled gold seal of Georgetown University. General Newton graduated from the School of Medicine of that University.
Russian gold and enamel flag. Miniature Order of St Anna with Swords in gold and red guilloche enamel.
Gold American eagle, gold and enamel American flag and gold caduceus – a symbol of medicine.
Below is a pair of shoulder boards with cipher of Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna which belonged to Brigadier General Dr. Philip Newton.
Below is a link to the article published in The New York Times on January 23, 1915 regarding the wedding of General Newton and Russian Princes Helen Schahofskaya
THE NEW YORK TIMES January 23, 1915
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F50615FA3E5C13738DDDAA0A94D9405B858DF1D3
A Russian priest is blessing with holy water an ambulance truck with inscription AMERICAN HOSPITAL, circa 1914.
