Is this a counterfeit British sterling mark?

[mkad]

I guess the question is simply "Is there a British silverplate marking that looks almost exactly like their own sterling marks?"
I have these four knives. They are quite clearly magnetic, both the blades and the handles. The markings on them (I apologize for the photos, I used a second camera with a high magnification, and combined them to try to show what they look like, they are a bit faded) does seem to be a lion (of sorts), an anchor for Birmingham, and the C which would be...1851. I see no other markings on them.
Now, I've seen many a fake sterling marking, or a fake 925 mark on items, but I've never seen anything with fake complex British marks. Is that what this is, or is that first marking that is a poor stamping of a lion actually trying to indicate that it's plated?
If it's a real marking indicating silver plate, then it's really from the early Victorian period, right? But, if the mark is fake, then there's really nothing to indicate what these are, they may not be antiques?

[2209patrick]

Hello.

Difficult to tell from the pictures.
From your description it sounds like a Gorham mark. Check here:
http://www.925-1000.com/americansilver_G3.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pat.

[silverly]

These knives look like they are in the Gorham pattern Old Dominion which was introduced in 1912.