London Hallmarks. London has been the most important British Assay Office for the high quality of workmanship and the amount and variety of silverware passing through it. The Goldsmiths Company was the first office in England, authorised to assay and mark gold and silver. This followed the granting of a Royal Charter in 1327. The London Assay Office is still in operation today. The Assay Mark for London is a leopard’s head.

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Birmingham Hallmarks. The Birmingham assay mark is an anchor. It is placed on its side if the metal is gold or platinum. The date letters began in 1773 and the sovereign’s head duty mark was used between 1784 to 1890.e Birmingham assay mark is an anchor. It is placed on its side if the metal is gold or platinum. The date letters began in 1773 and the sovereign’s head duty mark was used between 1784 to 1890.

The Birmingham Assay Office, one of the four assay offices in the United Kingdom, is located in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. The development of a silver industry in 18th century Birmingham was hampered by the legal requirement that items of solid silver be assayed, and the nearest Assay Offices were in Chester and London. Matthew Boulton and Birmingham’s other great industrialists joined forces with silversmiths of Sheffield to petition Parliament for the establishment of Assay Offices in their respective cities. In spite of determined opposition by London silversmiths, an Act of Parliament was passed in March 1773, just one month after the original petition was presented to Parliament, to allow Birmingham and Sheffield the right to assay silver. The Birmingham Assay Office opened on 31 August 1773 and initially operated from three rooms in the King’s Head Inn on New Street employing only four staff and was only operating on a Tuesday. The first customer on that day was Matthew Boulton.

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York hallmarks began around the mid 16th century. The York assay mark was initially a half leopards head joined with a half fleur-de-lys in a round shield. In the late 17th century the half leopards head was replaced with a half seeded rose. Reference: Collins Gem Antique Marks

York Hallmarks. Very little silver was assayed at York between 1716 to 1776. In 1717 the Assay Office was closed and remained closed in 1773 when the Parliamentary inquiry was being held. The York Assay Office was reopened shortly afterwards.

In 1787 a new alphabet of Roman letters began starting with a capital A followed by small letters until 1797.

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