Hallmark ID please

[Tekweni]

Hi All

I am a badge collector and recently acquired a badge with the attached hallmark. The maker is Fattorini & Sons of Bolton and the hallmark is a Birmingham mark but it looks like an old English 'D' but the closest date letter I can find is the 'V' which would date it 1895. Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks in advance, cheers,

Alex

[sixgun]

Well we see the Lion Passant - so we know it is  English Sterling silver and the anchor so we know it is Birmingham.

The anchor is on its side with the top of the anchor to the left - this immediately places the silver in the 1875 - 1899 series.

In that series the year letter appeared inside circles and rectangles with chamfered corners. The one we are looking at here is the rectangle with chamfered corners, so irrespective of how the letter looks if it is inside a rectangle it cannot be a date between 1875 - 1881.

In the two year letters we can see they are complete circles - the letters are definitely completely closed at the top. So my leaning is toward a letter O which puts the date at 1888.

So let's take a look at another Birmingham piece said to be 1888 - this is the first i found - this is a silver snuff pill box - the letter shape looks like yours - so i would go for 1888. i would find other pieces for the two years most likely - the O - 1888 and V - 1895 - then make up your own mind.

 

 

[Tekweni]

Hi Sixgun

Thanks for the very comprehensive description. I can see the 'O' resemblance but in the date charts I have looked at the 'O' letter is shown in an oval, not in the square with chamfered corners, so I think I will have to stick with 1895.

Cheers,

 

[sixgun]

@Tekweni

https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Birmingham.html

https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Birmingham/Cycle 1875-1899.html

In the series of date marks in question they started off with circles and ended up with rectangles - but for several years they used both - it does cause confusion - it has recently caught me out. So the 0 is found inside both a circle and a rectangle.

[4thelongrun]

On 14/04/2019 at 17:35, sixgun said:

Well we see the Lion Passant - so we know it is  English Sterling silver and the anchor so we know it is Birmingham.

The anchor is on its side with the top of the anchor to the left - this immediately places the silver in the 1875 - 1899 series.

In that series the year letter appeared inside circles and rectangles with chamfered corners. The one we are looking at here is the rectangle with chamfered corners, so irrespective of how the letter looks if it is inside a rectangle it cannot be a date between 1875 - 1881.

In the two year letters we can see they are complete circles - the letters are definitely completely closed at the top. So my leaning is toward a letter O which puts the date at 1888.

So let's take a look at another Birmingham piece said to be 1888 - this is the first i found - this is a silver snuff pill box - the letter shape looks like yours - so i would go for 1888. i would find other pieces for the two years most likely - the O - 1888 and V - 1895 - then make up your own mind.

 

 

Very interesting stuff

[Tekweni]

On 15/04/2019 at 14:03, sixgun said:

@Tekweni

https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Birmingham.html

https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Birmingham/Cycle 1875-1899.html

In the series of date marks in question they started off with circles and ended up with rectangles - but for several years they used both - it does cause confusion - it has recently caught me out. So the 0 is found inside both a circle and a rectangle.

Thanks Sixgun, very helpful.

Regards,