P&RB Hallmarked Silver Ring Age Dispute

[SilverYoungster]

Hello all, I purchased today a small silver signet ring. I quickly looked up the makers mark, stamp icon and letter. This was easy to identify as made by P&RB and made in Birmingham.

However, all sources I found elsewhere and on here state that P&RB have been makers marks since 1976, my ring is dated an "e" once researched came back to 1954 - 1955. How can my ring be hallmarked 20+ years before that makers existing?

I have checked numerous times and are 101% confident that I have correctly identified the letter.
I can't work out how to attach a picture, but I have l looked through a macro lens, with glasses on, with a torch on it and every time it looks exactly like the picture I found for a 1954/1955 "e" hallmark.

Furthermore, I am confident that the letter is an "e" and the 1954/1955 is the newest "e" hallmark, so no matter the variation of the hallmark, the letter still contradicts the aparent date that P&RB supposedly began.

Very confused and any helpful advice is appreciated

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

Your question cannot be answered without the required images.

https://postimages.org (choose 'Share', then copy the 'Hotlink for forums' code) is recommended. Do not use Photobucket or Dropbox.

Ensure your images are embedded. Do not post links. Remember to use the 'Preview' button before submitting your post.

For more information see:

http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 82#p103282

Give some time to creating your posts and we'll give some time to researching and answering them.

Trev.

[SilverYoungster]

Hello,
Thanks for the quick reply, and very helpful advice

I have attached the link below to a number of images. I'm sure we all understand it is not easy to photograph a hallmark, so I have attached all the images I took, in the hope they are somewhat helpful.

Further, I also attached a screenshot of a website with an enlarged picture of what I am so certain the hallmark letter is. I am very confident that this letter is correct, no other matches it so closely from what i have seen.

I hope these images are helpful!

https://postimg.cc/gallery/GCHyGBX

[dognose]

Images embedded:













Trev.

[dognose]

The year of assay is clearly 1979.

P. & R. Bushell Jewellers Ltd. were incorporated on the 15th June 1970.

Trev.

[SilverYoungster]

Hello,
That would make sense, I was aware that it would be impossible to have something 20 years before it existed.

What was the letter then?

I was unable to make out another letter and from my research the 1954/1955 "e" was the newest "e" avaliable, so if it was an "e" then I was unaware of that letter appearing during the running of P&RB. Although I am happily corrected

Of course you know more about this than I do and the 1979 year would make more sense than my impossible suggestion.

Thanks for the help.

[SilverYoungster]

And it would appear I am an idiot
I proudly and happily stand corrected

My mistake was when going through a hallmark wizard designed for gold hallmarks, I put in the pre 1970's gold hallmark (9 375) rather than (crown 375) which I believe was after 1970's

Furthermore, that 1979 hallmark matches a lot better, although the 1954/1955 hallmark was similar.

This perfectly solves my question, thank you very much!

[bijoux.expert]

Hello,
It's a good idea, when posting questions on hallmarks, to hold a 10X loupe against your mobile phone and take excellent photos of the marks. These come up much clearer than fuzzy photos of the whole object.

[SilverYoungster]

Hello,
Yes you are right, some sort of magnifier would have made the images much clearer

I was on holiday and still am when I bought this ring, so I didn't have any kind of magnifier with me. Had I had one to hand I would have definitely used it

Mind you the marks were clear enough to be made out, so still worked fortunately although a magnifier would have made it easier