Dunhill Shell Briar Christmas 2009 with Silver 'The Ghost of Christmas Present' (94/300) (3103) (with Case and Silver Tamper) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's annual Christmas Pipe is a treat for collectors, presenting a select array of the marque's classic shapes encased in a leather-bound, book-style display case. Each pipe is also accompanied by a sterling silver tamper following the theme as well. Beginning in 2006, the series took on the theme of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. As for this 2009 version, it's a handsome Group 3 rendition of the "03" Billiard shape, adorned with a lovely sterling silver army mount engraved with "The Ghost of Christmas Present." The tamper presents the visage of the second spirit to visit the old miser in Dickens' story.

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.