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I would like some help please to identify the marks on this ring, it seems to have a Shefield Mark and a London Mark. I also have a problem with the date letter, if anyone can help i would be grateful.
Spartacus
.
Help wanted to id this mark please
Hi,
Welcome to the Forum.
Your ring is 18 carat and assayed at London.
The use of the Crown mark by the Sheffield Assay Office is reserved only for silver, for gold they use the York Rose mark and have done since 1904 when they were first authorised for the assay of gold.
That just leaves the date which appears to be 1915, however if you can post a slighty clearer photo of the 'U' date mark, then we can be sure.
Trev.
.
Welcome to the Forum.
Your ring is 18 carat and assayed at London.
The use of the Crown mark by the Sheffield Assay Office is reserved only for silver, for gold they use the York Rose mark and have done since 1904 when they were first authorised for the assay of gold.
That just leaves the date which appears to be 1915, however if you can post a slighty clearer photo of the 'U' date mark, then we can be sure.
Trev.
.
Hi Mark,
You said in your original post that that your ring appeared to have a London and Sheffield mark, it has only a London mark.
This is where it gets a bit complicated, but here goes.
In 1773 Sheffield was granted the right to have its own assay office, it elected to use as its Town Mark the symbol of a Crown, it had the right to assay and Hallmark silver only, and it was not until 1904 that it was authorised to assay and Hallmark gold.
At the end of the 18th Century there was just one standard of gold, 22 Carat (there had been others in the past, including 18 carat, but forget about that at the moment). Gold at that time was struck with the same marks as silver, i.e. Lion Passant etc.
1798 saw the re-introduction of the 18 Carat standard and this saw for the first time distinctive marks for gold using the Crown and 18 mark (22 Carat continued to be marked in the same way as silver until 1844 when it changed to the Crown and 22 mark).
As Sheffield did not Hallmark gold at this time there was no confusion, but when they were granted the right to do so in 1904 they chose the York Rose to represent the Town Mark for gold only.
So when you see a Crown mark on gold it is part of the Standard mark and not a Town Mark.
I know, clear as mud!
Regards Trev.
.
You said in your original post that that your ring appeared to have a London and Sheffield mark, it has only a London mark.
This is where it gets a bit complicated, but here goes.
In 1773 Sheffield was granted the right to have its own assay office, it elected to use as its Town Mark the symbol of a Crown, it had the right to assay and Hallmark silver only, and it was not until 1904 that it was authorised to assay and Hallmark gold.
At the end of the 18th Century there was just one standard of gold, 22 Carat (there had been others in the past, including 18 carat, but forget about that at the moment). Gold at that time was struck with the same marks as silver, i.e. Lion Passant etc.
1798 saw the re-introduction of the 18 Carat standard and this saw for the first time distinctive marks for gold using the Crown and 18 mark (22 Carat continued to be marked in the same way as silver until 1844 when it changed to the Crown and 22 mark).
As Sheffield did not Hallmark gold at this time there was no confusion, but when they were granted the right to do so in 1904 they chose the York Rose to represent the Town Mark for gold only.
So when you see a Crown mark on gold it is part of the Standard mark and not a Town Mark.
I know, clear as mud!
Regards Trev.
.