J.S within a shield Birmingham 9ct gold dress stud

[LotVer]

I am trying to identify the maker and confirm my research on this set of four dress studs (one large and three smaller, large pictured). The J.S in a shield comes up as a Birmingham mark, but it says 1980-1995, which doesn't make any sense since these are antique jewellery from my family from Scotland. The date letter seems to be 1863 and this makes more sense. Does anyone have any information - is this Joseph Smith & Sons, as the marks seem to say?

[silvermakersmarks]

I believe that the hallmark date is 1938 (upper case O) or, just possibly 1913 (lower case o). Joseph Smith & Sons were using sponsor's marks similar to the one on your stud at the Chester Assay Office from 1937 and were certainly in business in Birmingham in 1920. Note that the dates you mention for the mark are dates for which I have seen it in use and do not represent (nor do I claim that they are) absolute working dates.

Phil