The anchor and lion combination is perhaps the most recognizable hallmark pairing in British silver. When you see an anchor alongside a lion passant (a lion walking with one paw raised), you are looking at a piece of sterling silver that was assayed in Birmingham, England. This specific combination has been stamped on silver since 1773 and continues to this day.
What Each Symbol Means
The Anchor — Birmingham Assay Office
The anchor is the official town mark of the Birmingham Assay Office, which was established by Act of Parliament in 1773. According to tradition, the anchor was chosen because the petition to create the Birmingham office was debated in the Crown & Anchor tavern in London. The anchor has remained Birmingham's mark for over 250 years and is still used today.
Birmingham is the busiest assay office in the world by volume. The vast majority of jewelry and small silver objects hallmarked in Britain pass through Birmingham, making the anchor one of the most commonly seen assay marks on silver.
The Lion Passant — Sterling Standard
The lion passant (a lion walking to the left with its right forepaw raised) is the English standard mark for sterling silver — an alloy of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. This mark has been used since 1544 and confirms that the piece meets the legal minimum fineness for sterling.
Important: the lion passant is specifically English. Scottish sterling silver uses a thistle, and Irish sterling uses a crowned harp. If you see a lion passant, the piece was assayed in England.
Reading the Full Hallmark
The anchor and lion never appear alone — they are always part of a complete set of hallmarks. A typical Birmingham sterling silver hallmark set includes:
- Sponsor's (Maker's) Mark — Initials of the maker or sponsor, in a specific punch shape
- Lion Passant — Confirms sterling silver (925)
- Anchor — Confirms Birmingham assay office
- Date Letter — A letter indicating the year of assay
- Duty Mark (1784–1890 only) — Monarch's head showing tax was paid
Birmingham Date Letters: How to Date Your Piece
Birmingham has used its own independent sequence of date letters since 1773. The letters cycle through the alphabet (typically excluding J) in a distinctive typeface and shield shape for each cycle. Key date letter cycles for Birmingham:
| Period | Letters | Style | Shield Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1773–1798 | A–Z (old English lowercase) | Gothic lowercase | Various shields |
| 1798–1824 | a–z (Roman lowercase) | Roman lowercase | Pointed shield |
| 1824–1849 | A–Z (Roman capitals) | Roman uppercase | Square shield |
| 1849–1875 | A–Z (Gothic capitals) | Old English uppercase | Shaped shield |
| 1875–1900 | a–z (Roman lowercase) | Roman lowercase | Square-cut corners |
| 1900–1925 | A–Z (Roman capitals) | Roman uppercase | Irregular shapes |
| 1925–1950 | A–Z (Roman capitals) | Roman uppercase | Plain shield |
To date a piece precisely, you need to match the letter, its typeface, and the shield shape. The Silver Marks app can help match these combinations against its database of over 15,000 marks.
Famous Birmingham Silversmiths
Many important silversmiths and manufacturers used the Birmingham anchor mark:
- Matthew Boulton (1728–1809) — Pioneer of the Birmingham silver trade, business partner of James Watt. His maker's mark "MB" with the anchor is highly prized by collectors.
- Elkington & Co. — Invented commercial electroplating in the 1840s. Their solid silver pieces carry the anchor alongside their maker's mark.
- Adie Brothers — Major Birmingham manufacturer from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century.
- Deakin & Francis — Still operating today, one of the oldest jewelry manufacturers in Britain (founded 1786).
- W.H. Haseler — Manufactured silver for Liberty & Co.'s famous "Cymric" range of Art Nouveau silver.
How to Spot Fakes and Misidentifications
- Cast marks vs. struck marks — Genuine hallmarks are individually struck with steel punches, leaving crisp edges and slight variation between strikes. Cast marks (from a mold) look too uniform and have softer edges.
- Transposed marks — Some forgers cut genuine hallmarks from old damaged silver and solder them into reproduction pieces. Look for solder lines or color differences around the hallmark area.
- Foreign anchors — Not every anchor on silver means Birmingham. Some Continental European silver uses anchor symbols in their national marking systems. The Birmingham anchor has a specific form — a plain anchor without rope, crown, or other additions.
- EPNS confusion — Electroplated nickel silver items sometimes carry pseudo-hallmarks that include anchor-like symbols. Always look for the complete set of genuine hallmarks.
Collecting Anchor-and-Lion Silver
Birmingham silver represents excellent value for collectors. Because Birmingham produced such enormous quantities of silver, pieces are generally more affordable than comparable items from London. However, early Birmingham pieces (1773–1800), particularly by Matthew Boulton, are rare and expensive. The sweet spot for collectors is typically mid-Victorian to Edwardian Birmingham silver — well-made, plentiful enough to find, and still affordable compared to London-marked equivalents.