What does a anchor mean on silver?

Assay Office Birmingham
This symbol shows which Assay Office tested and marked the item. The Anchor is the symbol of Assay Office Birmingham .

What does lion on silver mean?

A stamp indicating the purity of the silver is called the assayer’s mark. The mark for silver meeting the sterling standard of purity is the Lion Passant, but there have been other variations over the years, most notably the mark indicating Britannia purity.

How do I identify silver hallmarks?

READING BRITISH SILVER HALLMARKS

1. STEP 1 – LOOK FOR THE STANDARD MARK. There are 5 standard marks found on British Silver.
2. STEP 2 – LOOK FOR THE TOWN MARK.
3. STEP 3 – LOOK FOR THE DUTY MARK.
4. STEP 4 – LOOK FOR THE DATE LETTER.
5. STEP 5 – LOOK FOR THE MAKER’S MARK.

What do the symbols on silver mean?

1) symbol for the town in which the silver content was certified, called an assay or town mark; 2) symbol for the year of manufacture called the date letter; 3) symbol representing the silversmith or factory which made the object, called maker’s mark or sponsors mark; The English silver standard is also 925/1000.

What does a lion and anchor mean on silver?

If you find a lion on your piece, you’ll immediately know that it’s come from Britain. Symbols for where it was made include an anchor for Birmingham and a crown for Sheffield (in 1975, it changed to a rose). Another mark is the head of the reigning monarch. Some companies used symbols as a commercial logo.

Is electroplated silver worth anything?

Since there is only a small amount of silver on each item, there is no melting value for silverplate. Pieces that are more decorative, rare, and in good condition might sell for more money. Silverplate value is more about the antique market than it is about the metal market.

What does the letter F mean on silver?

In 1904 an Act of the Order of Council ordered that foreign silver had to be marked with the decimal value: . 925 for Sterling Standard and . 958 for Britannia Standard. A special Assay Office mark was introduced to be used in the addition to the annual date letter, while the “F” mark was omitted.

What does R mean on silver?

If the mark is: lion, symbol (town of Assay), R, Name or initials of maker, then it is British sterling silver. The letter “R” is a date indicator. You will have to go to the Encyclopedia of Silver Marks website to look up the mark.

Is silver plated on copper worth anything?

Do silver plated items have any value? The value of silver plated flatware, for example, has a lot to do with what base metal is found underneath the silver. If copper is the underlying metal, the value of the flatware could be worth the price of copper scrap.

Where does the lion head go on British silver hallmarks?

From this date the lion passant appears on the marks of all town except those of Scotland and Ireland. in 1697an Act decreed a higher standard of purity for wrought plate instituting a new mark figure of Britannia and a lion’s head erased.

Do you have to have a silver mark for a hallmark?

Makers’ Marks The company or person responsible for sending a silver article for hallmarking has their own unique mark that must be registered with the assay office – a process that has been compulsory since the 14th century.

Where can I find list of English silver hallmarks?

English silver hallmarks: British maker’s marks identification S&-SB an illustrated directory listing 3000 hallmarks of England, Scotland, Ireland, Channel Islands and Colonial silver (Canada, India, Cape), maker marks, town marks, date letter, duty marks.

Is there a difference between Britannia and Lion hallmarks?

This measure was continued until 1720 and all silver marked between those two dates bore a lion’s head and the figure of Britannia in place of the lion passant. Britannia marks may still be found on special pieces made to the higher standard. The silver hallmarks of the lion passant (.925 purity) and the higher Britannia standard (.958 purity).