1962.
Chester was granted an official Assay Office by an Act of Parliament in 1700. Its marks were similar to those of London hallmarked silver and the sequence of date letters followed in alphabetical order. The Chester assay office closed down in 1962.
When did Chester stop hallmarking silver?
1962
Chester has a long history, dating back to medieval times of making beautiful and valuable objects. The City marked its silver with its own assay mark until 1962.
How can you tell what year a hallmark is?
Town mark – This symbol will tell you where the item was tested and hallmarked. The date letter – This symbol will tell you the year in which the item was tested and marked.
Is Chester silver rare?
Silver marked with the full Chester city arms mark is very rare, the more familiar three wheat sheaf mark being introduced in 1779, and this fine looking Georgian period antique mug bears a clear example.
Where was the Assay Office in Chester?
Goss Street
Photographed below is the Chester Assay Office which was located on Goss Street in Chester.
How can you tell how old a silver hallmark is?
Your silver will have a hallmark called a date letter. This marking will tell you when it was produced. However, the date letters used differ depending on where the silver was assayed. For example, the date letter for 1898 in London is a lowercase c, but in Sheffield, it’s a lowercase f.
How do you identify old silver markings?
Silver hallmarks are one of the most important factors in identifying antique silver jewelry, flatware, and other items.
Common Silverplate Hallmarks
- “Silverplate”
- “EPNS” (for electro-plated nickel silver)
- “EPBM” (for electro-plated Britannia metal)
- “EP” (for electro-plated)
- “BP” (for Britannia plate)
What does AB mean on a hallmark?
Albert Baker & Co (1898) Ltd, Listed in 1901 as tobacco manufacturers at 65 Holloway Road, London. Out of business in 1939. Birmingham 1909 hallmark.
What does 375 mean on a gold ingot?
‘375’ gold is just one of many different types of hallmarks. Here’s a closer look. If a gold product contains the hallmark ‘375’, that means your gold is 9 karat – or 37.5 per cent pure. The remaining 62.5 per cent of the product is an alloy of different metals, like nickel, copper, or in some cases silver.
What does the letter B mean on jewelry?
BEAU / BEAUCRAFT
Hallmark(s): “Beau”, “Beaucraft”, “B”
What is the most valuable type of silver?
999 silver jewelry is the closest you’ll get to pure silver. It’s called . 999 silver because it’s technically 99.9% pure silver! This type of silver is the highest quality silver you can buy.
Which silver is most purest?
Fine silver
Fine silver – (99.9% pure) The purest silver on the market. It is extremely soft, is beautifully malleable and solders easily with minimal tarnishing.
What is the hallmark for solid silver?
A stamp indicating the purity of the silver is called the assayer’s mark. The mark for silver meeting the sterling standard of purity is the Lion Passant, but there have been other variations over the years, most notably the mark indicating Britannia purity.
Where are the 4 assay offices in the UK?
There are 4 Assay Offices in the UK:
- Birmingham Assay Office.
- Edinburgh Assay Office.
- London Assay Office.
- Sheffield Assay Office.
How do you date gold hallmarks?
Hallmarks provide proof of an article’s precious metal content, and older items should feature a date letter to denote the year it was hallmarked.
Gold hallmarks date letters
- Chester – closed 1962.
- Exeter – closed 1883.
- Glasgow – closed 1964.
- Newcastle – closed 1884.
- Norwich – closed 1702.
- York – closed 1858.
Who is the king’s assay master?
Graeme Smith – Head of Consumer Manufacturing & The Kings Assay Master at The Royal Mint – Newport, Wales, United Kingdom | LinkedIn.
What does Z mean on silver hallmark?
In this case the letter ‘z’ (2) indicates it was assayed in 1874. The date letter changes every year so you can precisely date the year it was made. The maker’s mark (1) shows that it was made by Robert Thornton. The last mark (5) the Sovereign Head, in this case, is Queen Victoria, showing the duty has been paid.
What are the 5 standard silver marks?
Compulsory marks are the Assay Office mark, the sponsor’s or maker’s mark (at least two letters within a shield) and the Metal and fineness mark (purity in millesimal number). The use of the traditional fineness mark (lion passant, lion rampant, Britannia) and date letter is maintained only on a voluntary basis.
What does C mean on silver hallmarks?
“AA” or “A.A.” UNKNOWN QUALITY. “A” STANDARD QUALITY. “B1” UNKNOWN QUALITY. “B” THIRD QUALITY. “C” FOURTH QUALITY.
How can you tell if something is solid silver or silver plated?
Check the colouring of the item carefully; genuine silver is generally less shiny and colder in tone than silverplate. If you see places where the silver appears to be flaking off or turning green, the item is silver plated. To investigate further, you can try cleaning the item with a soft cloth.
How do you test silver with vinegar?
How To Test Silver Jewelry With Vinegar – Surprising Results
- Make a tiny scratch where it is not visible.
- Pour a tiny drop of vinegar on the scratch. You can use ordinary white vinegar that you already have in your kitchen.
- Observe the piece. If the spot changes color, then this isn’t silver.