The Tudor Mint is a collectibles designer and maker. Originally based in Shirley, Solihull it was a wholly owned subsidiary of The Watson Group Ltd. until 2007 when the brand was sold to the Xystos group. Their range consists mainly of dark, antique styled collectibles including the best selling dragon range called Myth and Magic. The products are all hand painted and are usually finished usually with gold or silver plating which produces either a dark gothic effect (Myth and Magic) or brighter effect (Crystal Mementos). Following the transfer of ownership, many of the ranges were retired, with only two ranges being retained and marketed still.
Contents
Company history
This information is taken from Official Handbook of the Myth and Magic Collection. ISBN 978-1-872989-05-1.
Beginnings
The Watson Group was founded in the jewellery quarter at Hockley, one of the older settlements in the Birmingham, England, conurbation, in 1915. Birmingham, from shortly after the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, was a major centre of engineering where skills were developed to make a wide variety of products using both base and precious metals. The manufacture of jewellery was, even at that time, already well established and respected when the city was first granted permission by the Goldsmiths' Company to use its own hallmark on its gold- and silverware. Without this mark (an anchor), which confirmed the quality of the gold or silver content, articles made from these metals could not be sold legally.
Walter Archibald ('Archle') Parker Watson had been a practicing jeweler for several years before he sold his business to Augustus Harry Power and Clarence Oswald Flint in 1914; they retained the founder's name when they changed the method of trading from that of a partnership into a limited company. W.A.P. Watson Limited was born. The new business, which originally employed six people, concentrated on the skilled manufacture of costume jewellery. This remained the mainstay of production until the 1970s. Watson's introduced a trade name for their range - Exquisite Jewellery - in order to foster customer loyalty. Business expanded steadily between the two World Wars, resulting in a move (in 1934) from the original premises at Northampton Street to Great Hampton Street, both within the jewellery quarter, where the accommodation was more spacious. By this time, there were 125 employees. Premises were also acquired in nearby Mary Street specifically for producing crested souvenirs. Eventually, Augustus Power's sons Wallis and Jack succeeded to the business as Joint Managing Directors.
As were so many other metalworking businesses during the Second World War, Watson's was required by the War Department to support the nation's efforts by manufacturing small and intricate devices used in a wide variety of essential items for military equipment. As soon as the war ended, production reverted to traditional costume jewellery and souvenir manufacture. Post-war markets expanded successfully as did Watson's reputation for quality and value.
The Powers decided that the time had come to move out of the restrictive confines of inner-city Birmingham to a 3-acre (12,000 m2) site in Vulcan Road, Solihull, a few miles south east of Birmingham. The business moved there in 1954, although much of the design work was still undertaken by the company's own designers based in Paris.
For the next twenty years or so, Watson's continued to expand the costume jewellery side of the business. Until competition from cheap imports during the 1970s obliged the company to cease making them, it was also the second largest manufacturer of costume jewellery in the United Kingdom, still trading under the Exquisite Jewellery name. It was during this time that the use of crystals was introduced. The range of jewellery was wide and up to 20,000 pieces of costume jewellery alone were made each week. Larger premises also meant that the company could experiment with new products for the souvenir, general giftware and collectors' keepsakes markets. The Mirella trade name was introduced for ranges of gold-plated picture frames, mirrors, pens and pill boxes sold in boutiques and the fancy goods departments of larger stores.
Graham Hughes joined Watson's as Company Secretary and was able to make good use of his accountancy and trend analysis knowledge when, in 1977, the bubble burst. Cheap foreign imported jewellery sounded the death knell for the traditional mainstay of the business. Alternative products and markets urgently needed to be found. Fortunately, the collapse coincided with a marked expansion in demand for souvenirs. There was increasingly more leisure time and money available for the 'ordinary' person to travel, both at home and abroad, to 'see the sights'.
Despite these new opportunities, the company suffered a traumatic period of adjustment. The workforce was reduced while new avenues of production were explored. Watson's introduced a variety of other collectors' keepsakes such as letter openers in the form of miniature swords, silver-plated bells and thimbles. Another branch of the company made Manor Leathercraft souvenirs.
The Tudor Mint
Changes to the company's structure were made. The Watson Group Limited was founded as a holding company and W.A.P. Watson Limited became the main trading firm.
It was at this time that the Tudor Mint trade name was created by Graham Hughes, originally for a range of pewter Victorian Street scenes. The name supposedly implied quality, stability and respectability - traits and perceptions which are now well established among the company's many customers worldwide (so much so that the name was used to create a separate limited company in 1991).
The Crystalflame range of silver and gilt plated animals incorporating a crystal followed and were popular during the 1980s, but not sufficiently so to encourage further development. In spite of the popularity of its high-quality silver-plated souvenir spoons, bells, lapel badges ('pins'), etc., W. A. P. Watson Ltd needed a new range of products to improve the company's prospects. The result was the Myth & Magic Collection.
The company also produces figures from The Lord of the Rings as well as several chess sets. Previous ranges produced by Tudor Mint include the Hobbit Collection, the Arthurian Legend, (based on the Tales of King Arthur and including a set of all the knights of the round table), Dark Secrets (a much darker range of skeletons and demons), and 'pewter effect' eggs that range from whimsical figures to Myth and Magic based eggs and a range of zodiac themed eggs. In addition they have produced 'Spellbound'; "hand painted figurines with a combination of pewter, the finest full-lead crystal and cold-cast materials" as the brochure described them.
The Collectors Club
The Tudor Mint have run a collectors club since May 1990. Members receive an exclusive yearly study that is not released on general sale. They may purchase two 'members only' studies each year, which also do not go onto general sale. Members receive two editions of the club magazine The Methtindour Times ("Methtintdour" being an anagram of "The Tudor Mint", created by the original magazine editor Allan Frost). A yearly 'Extravaganza' show is organized by the company which up to 1200 collectors attend to view new designs, purchase the yearly one off 'Extravanaganza study' as well as enter competitions to win rare and prototype versions of the studies. Traders of the ranges are able to display and sell their products at this show
Yearly club presentation studies
Extravaganza special studies and event locations
Myth and Magic
Myth and Magic products are "studies" of medieval figures and characters from English folklore, made from metal, (commonly mistaken for pewter), and detailed in antique, silver plate metal embellished with genuine crystals. The studies generally consist of dragons and wizards. The dragons are generally shown defending the crystals whilst the wizards are sometimes shown fighting each other or the dragons. Other mythical creatures that have been incorporated into the collection include unicorns, fairies and birds.
The collection includes other styles in which the same design principles have been adapted to include motorbikes in what is known as the Bikers Club range. A similar range called Easy Riders are brightly painted resin studies.
Spellbound
Launched in the 1990s, this range consisted of 24 studies. Each study was a limited edition of only 3,500 pieces with each piece being hand numbered. They were retired quite quickly, as the range did not sell as expected.
Land of the Dragons
A range of resin figures was launched under the collective title of The Land of the Dragons. These highly detailed studies now form a major part of the range. They differ from the original range in both materials and colour. The resin material also allows for elaborate colours to be used in the final stage of manufacturing (hand painting). With oranges, blues, yellows and reds the most often used colours this creates an overall brighter "study". The Land of the Dragon range was expanded and now includes resin studies that are complete with crystal, as in the Myth and Magic range.
Crystal Mementos
In 2004 another range was launched, which combined the fine metal work of the pewter studies with the highly coloured decoration of the Land of the Dragons. This range contains the 'Fauna and Flora' collection of animals, as well as the 'Dreams of Fantasy' collection containing the now familiar dragon theme. This range has since been retired.
Eye of the Temple
Combining aspects of the Maya, Aztec, Inca and Egyptian stories of their gods and goddesses, this range of 24 studies along with the 'Temple of Maazineg' (combining the initial letters of the civilisations) featured a large eye within each study. Studies included Osiris (Egytpian), Quetzalcoatl (Aztec), and the Bat God (Maya). This range has since been retired.
Bearing Crystal
This range contained 12 bears, made in a similar way to the Crystal Mementos range, and each containing several small crystals. This range has since been retired.
Magic Moments
Launched in 2006, this collection continued with the theme of dragons, but presented them in smooth curving lines. The range is currently limited to six pieces. This range has since been retired.
Fan sites
Several websites have been set up to allow collectors of the studies to find out more information about them, or chat to other collectors. Dragonsmagic was, until it closed down in late 2007, a community message board for collectors. The Myth and Magic message board, run by the World Collectors Net, is a similar site. Perhaps the most comprehensive site is DragonsCavern, offering images and information for almost all the studies in all the ranges, as well as prototype images and information. It also has a thriving discussion forum, classifieds section, and a newsblog that contains the latest information to come from the Tudor Mint.