TL;DR The Birmingham assay office mark is an anchor, used since the office opened on 31 August 1773 after Matthew Boulton and Sheffield's silversmiths won an Act of Parliament. Birmingham date letters changed every July until 1974. From 1975 Birmingham shares the UK date letter, which changes on 1 January. The office still operates, now on Moreton Street.
An anchor is the Birmingham assay office mark. Birmingham and Sheffield won the right to assay silver in the same Act of 1773, after Matthew Boulton and Sheffield's makers petitioned Parliament against opposition from London. The Birmingham office opened on 31 August 1773 at the King's Head Inn on New Street, and Boulton was its first customer.
Why is the Birmingham assay mark an anchor?
Birmingham's anchor has no link to the sea. A popular story says Birmingham and Sheffield's delegates met at the Crown and Anchor tavern on the Strand while lobbying Parliament, and divided its sign between them: Birmingham took the anchor, Sheffield the crown. Treat the story as tradition rather than record.
The anchor appears on all metals Birmingham marks. On sterling it stands with the lion passant, the date letter and the sponsor's mark. More detail on anchor variants, and anchors that are not Birmingham marks, is on the anchor hallmark page.
How do Birmingham date letters work?
Birmingham date letters changed every July until 1974, so each letter spans parts of two calendar years. Cycles ran about 25 or 26 letters, and the first, from 1773, used capitals A to Z without J. From 1975 Birmingham uses the single UK date letter that changes on 1 January.
| Years | Letters |
|---|---|
| 1773 to 1797 | Roman capitals A to Z, no J |
| 1798 to 1823 | Roman lower case a to z |
| 1824 to 1848 | Gothic capitals, no I |
| 1849 to 1874 | Roman capitals A to Z |
| 1875 to 1899 | Gothic lower case, no j |
| 1900 to 1924 | Roman lower case, no j |
| 1925 to 1949 | Capitals, no J |
| 1950 to 1974 | Capitals, no J (1974 is Z) |
| 1975 onward | Shared UK letter |
Watch cases from 1875 to 1899 often carry the anchor and date letter in shield-shaped punches. A lower-case t in Roman type with an anchor, for example, is 1918.
Where is the Birmingham Assay Office today?
Birmingham Assay Office moved to a purpose-built £10 million building on Moreton Street in the Jewellery Quarter on 27 July 2015, after 138 years on Newhall Street. It hallmarked 13 million articles in 2003 alone. Since July 2016 it has also struck hallmarks at a subsidiary in Mumbai, India.
Offshore marks must differ visibly from UK ones under a 2018 ruling of the British Hallmarking Council, so read a modern anchor with care: it shows Birmingham tested the piece, not that the piece was tested in Birmingham.
How do you date a Birmingham-marked piece?
- Confirm the anchor, and look for a sovereign's head duty mark (1784 to 1890).
- Read the date letter's case, typeface and shield, and place it in the cycle table above.
- Allow for the July changeover: a letter runs from July of one year to June of the next.
- Look up the sponsor's mark to identify the maker or retailer.
Other offices: London , Sheffield , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Chester , Dublin . All seven compared on the assay office marks page.
Sources
- Birmingham Assay Office, Wikipedia
- Birmingham Assay Office: date letters
- Birmingham hallmarks (date tables after Jackson, 1921)
- Hallmark, Wikipedia
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an anchor hallmark mean?
On British silver, gold or platinum, an anchor means Birmingham Assay Office tested and marked the piece. Birmingham has used the anchor since it opened in 1773. An anchor without a lion passant or fineness number may be a maker's mark or decoration rather than a hallmark.
When did Birmingham date letters change each year?
Until 1974 the Birmingham date letter changed in July, so each letter covers July of one year to June of the next. From 1975 Birmingham, like London, Sheffield and Edinburgh, uses one shared UK date letter that changes on 1 January.
Is the Birmingham Assay Office still open?
Yes. It moved to a new building on Moreton Street in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter in July 2015 and still hallmarks precious metals. It also offers metal analysis and gem testing. Since 2016 it has struck Birmingham hallmarks at a subsidiary in Mumbai, India, using a distinguishable version of the mark.
