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kbkRandomly decided to look up gold hallmarks as was twiddling an inherited gold ring and noticed, so...
Did you know that the date letter stands for a different year depending on which assay office the gold is from? Because I didn't. I assumed it would be standardised, which it eventually was, as far as I can tell, but only in the seventies, and the ring I have is from before then. ah-ha! yes! "statutory jurisdiction of the Hallmarking Act 1973" - sounds about right. don't know how it works, precisely, but...
anyway, I thought the ring was 1955 from the first list I saw but then I realised that was for London, and it's a Birmingham mark (an anchor) so it turns out it's 1944.
And if I'd actually scrolled down to the bottom of the page, I would have seen this line: "In Birmingham the date letter changes in July up to 1974. From 1975, all Assay offices have the same date letter." Oh well, it was exciting to find out for myself.
But still, it's funky, and if I went to the library and pulled out a big reference book I could probably find which company the last part stands for, because it has a 9 and a .375, which is to show it's 9-carat gold, and the anchor and the U for 1944, and then further round it has what I assume are the initials of the company.
And wasn't that exciting.
Well, yes, actually, for me it was. I'm interested. And I have nothing better to do because my exams are over. Which is grand.
It's just weird that I'm wearing something so old - I mean, I knew it was old because it was my gran's... hang on. I don't think she was married by then, and the initials are for her married name which was my mother's maiden name which was why mum could wear it. (Their Christian names had the same initial.) But. Hmm. I should check the dates. And possibly my great-grandmother's name. Though maybe it was re-engraved as a wedding present, or something. Hmm. Random ramblings... I should email this to my sisters, find out what they know. I think I'll go do that.
Did you know that the date letter stands for a different year depending on which assay office the gold is from? Because I didn't. I assumed it would be standardised, which it eventually was, as far as I can tell, but only in the seventies, and the ring I have is from before then. ah-ha! yes! "statutory jurisdiction of the Hallmarking Act 1973" - sounds about right. don't know how it works, precisely, but...
anyway, I thought the ring was 1955 from the first list I saw but then I realised that was for London, and it's a Birmingham mark (an anchor) so it turns out it's 1944.
And if I'd actually scrolled down to the bottom of the page, I would have seen this line: "In Birmingham the date letter changes in July up to 1974. From 1975, all Assay offices have the same date letter." Oh well, it was exciting to find out for myself.
But still, it's funky, and if I went to the library and pulled out a big reference book I could probably find which company the last part stands for, because it has a 9 and a .375, which is to show it's 9-carat gold, and the anchor and the U for 1944, and then further round it has what I assume are the initials of the company.
And wasn't that exciting.
Well, yes, actually, for me it was. I'm interested. And I have nothing better to do because my exams are over. Which is grand.
It's just weird that I'm wearing something so old - I mean, I knew it was old because it was my gran's... hang on. I don't think she was married by then, and the initials are for her married name which was my mother's maiden name which was why mum could wear it. (Their Christian names had the same initial.) But. Hmm. I should check the dates. And possibly my great-grandmother's name. Though maybe it was re-engraved as a wedding present, or something. Hmm. Random ramblings... I should email this to my sisters, find out what they know. I think I'll go do that.
