Reading hallmarks

How to read Birmingham silver hallmarks

By the Sortwell team · Updated 9 November 2026 · 4 min read

A small antique silver card case and vesta case on a dark green leather desk top.

Short answer: On Birmingham silver hallmarks, an anchor is the town mark of the Birmingham Assay Office, which opened in 1773. Beside it you'll normally see a walking lion for sterling silver, a maker's mark and a date letter. The letters run in cycles of about 25 years, so match the letter's style and shield to the right cycle. Before 1975 Birmingham's year began in July.

On this page

The anchor
The other marks on Birmingham silver
Birmingham's date letter cycles
Birmingham silver and what it's worth
Common questions

Birmingham is one of the most common marks on British silver, particularly on small things like card cases, vesta cases, buckles and napkin rings. Our guide to reading silver hallmarks explains the basics, if you'd like to begin there.

The anchor

Birmingham's silversmiths once had to send their work to Chester to be tested. The trade, with Matthew Boulton prominent among the campaigners, won its own assay office by Act of Parliament in 1773, and it struck its first date letter on 31 August that year.

Nobody knows for certain why Birmingham has an anchor, given that it's so far from the sea. The usual story is that the Birmingham and Sheffield delegations met at the Crown and Anchor tavern in London and drew lots for the marks. Sheffield took the crown and Birmingham the anchor.

The anchor doesn't always mean a piece was marked in the city. Since July 2016, Birmingham has also struck hallmarks in Mumbai, so on modern pieces it means Birmingham's assay office rather than the place.

The other marks on Birmingham silver

Mark	What to look for	What it tells you
Lion passant	A walking lion	Sterling silver. Birmingham's lion looks back over its shoulder until 1875
Sovereign's head	A monarch in profile	Duty paid, 1784 to 1890
Date letter	A letter in a shaped outline	The year of marking
Maker's mark	Initials	Who made the piece or sent it in

Birmingham didn't strike the leopard's head, so a leopard next to an anchor would be unusual. Gold hallmarking at Birmingham only began in 1824, as our gold hallmarks guide explains.

Birmingham's date letter cycles

Birmingham's cycles ran from 1773 and are longer than London's, at 25 or 26 letters. The table below follows Mozeris Fine Antiques' chart, which is checked against Jackson's reference work, and the start years agree with other published cycle tables.

Cycle	Letter style	Outline	Note
1773 to 1797	Roman capitals	Rectangular or shield	No J
1798 to 1823	Roman small letters	Shield, pointed base	All 26 letters
1824 to 1848	Old English capitals	Shield, shape varies
1849 to 1874	Roman capitals	Rectangle, clipped corners	I and J both used
1875 to 1899	Old English small letters	Oval or round	No j
1900 to 1924	Roman small letters	Shield, waved lower edge	No j
1925 to 1949	Roman capitals	Rectangle, cut corners	No I, J used
1950 to 1974	Italic capitals	Square, waved sides

Start by working out which cycle fits the style and outline, then count along from A and allow for any letters left out. A small roman letter c in a shield with a waved lower edge, for instance, is the third letter of the 1900 to 1924 cycle, which makes it 1902.

Birmingham's year ran from 1 July to 30 June, which means a single letter covers parts of two calendar years. All the UK offices have shared one letter since 1975, changing on 1 January, and you'll find that table in our main hallmarks guide.

Take care with Birmingham watch cases from 1875 to 1900, because the outlines around their letters are often different from those shown in printed tables. If you're dating a watch, the letter's style will be more reliable than its outline.

Birmingham silver and what it's worth

Birmingham was a city of small workshops making small, useful things. Many of its pieces are modest in value and sell on weight or as everyday collectables. Some do much better, including card cases showing well-known buildings, vesta cases in unusual shapes, vinaigrettes and pieces by well-regarded makers.

Elkington and Matthew Boulton are two Birmingham names collectors know well. To research what similar pieces have sold for, see our guide to valuing antiques. Anything that's part of an estate will need a figure for probate too.

Common questions

What does an anchor mean on silver?

An anchor is the town mark of the Birmingham Assay Office. It shows that the piece was tested and hallmarked by Birmingham, which has used the anchor since 1773.

How do I date Birmingham silver?

Match the date letter's style and outline to one of Birmingham's cycles, then count along from A, allowing for missing letters, to reach the year. Before 1975 each letter covers July to June.

Is Birmingham silver real silver?

If it has an anchor and a walking lion or a 925 mark, it's been tested as sterling silver. An anchor alone isn't enough. Check that there's also a fineness mark, because silver plate can carry imitation marks.

Why did Birmingham get its own assay office?

Local silversmiths had to send their work to Chester to be tested, which was slow and risky. They petitioned Parliament and won their own office in 1773.

Sources

This guide is general information for people in England and Wales. The rules in Scotland and Northern Ireland can differ. It isn't legal, tax or financial advice, and Sortwell isn't a law firm or a valuer. If an estate is complicated or there's a disagreement, talk to a solicitor. Figures were checked on the date above.