A remarkable collection of Norwich silver - one of the largest in private hands - has been safeguarded by Colin Ticktum, who has died aged 67, after a long illness.

A remarkable collection of Norwich silver - one of the largest in private hands - has been safeguarded by Colin Ticktum, who has died aged 67, after a long illness.

The £1m bequest included a permanent home in Upper St Giles, Norwich, for the internationally-famous collection of almost 500 silver spoons. In the past 25 years, Mr Ticktum acquired almost a tenth of the surviving examples of Norwich silver.

His gift includes four Norwich silver marked buttons, which are the only examples known to have survived from the Assay's short existence between 1565 and 1702 when it closed.

He wrote a definitive history of Norwich silver, “Norwich Silver: From earliest times to the closure of the Assay in 1702.” And with his widow, Susan, they made the donation to raise the profile of the region's rich heritage.

Their former home, which has views across the city centre, will become the trust's headquarters and house more than 2000 documents on Norwich silver.

He started collecting in earnest in the early 1970s and bought many spoons for £5 or £10. When he diagnosed with a terminal illness about two years ago, it was decided to give the collection away.

His lifelong “dip into silver” began or was indirectly encouraged by his late father, a veteran of the Anzio landings in 1944, who had acquired a silver spoon as a souvenir of the bitter fighting in Italy.

His career began in the Treasury in London, but he later moved to Norfolk to run its finance operation in 1972. He retired from the Treasury in 1986 when he was only 46.

“We've been collectors since the 1970s,” he told the EDP. Both he and his wife quickly caught the collecting bug. “We started going to Keys' auction at Aylsham. Then, he started acquiring pieces of Norwich silver.

“The first thing that I did was to catalogue all the reserve collection in the Castle Museum - and it took about three to six months.”

He leaves a widow, Susan. A private funeral will take place but a memorial lecture will be held in early November.

The trust's website - www.ticktumsilver.co.uk

e