Dunhill Shell Briar Christmas 2006 with Silver 'Scrooge and Jacob Marley's Ghost' (201/300) (5108) (with Case and Silver Tamper) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

From 2006 to 2010, Dunhill issued a series of limited-edition pipes celebrating Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Serialized 201/300, this 2006 edition features Dunhill's "08" bent Bulldog, here rendered in hearty Group 5 size. It's been dressed in the rich Shell Briar finish, with a crisp sterling silver band adorning the junction, engraved to read "Jacob Marley's Ghost." This handsome pipe is accompanied by a silver tamper depicting said ghost, and it all comes nestled in a leather-wrapped, book-style presentation box. As part of such a limited collection, and being the first installment in the A Christmas Carol-inspired line, this offering is quite the exciting find for fans of Dunhill and Dickens alike.

The Shell Briar's addition to the Dunhill catalog was a pivotal moment in pipe-smoking history. Before 1917, pipes with sandblasted finishes had never been made, and Alfred Dunhill's innovative mind created arguably the most popular finish for pipes today when he unveiled the Shell Briar. With its dark, reserved color palette and delightful texture, it's no surprise that it's still wildly popular over a century later.