Birmingham maker's mark B&F on silver bookmark

PHOTOS REQUIRED - marks + item
Post Reply
howie
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:46 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Birmingham maker's mark B&F on silver bookmark

Post by howie »

Does anyone know who this manufacturer is? Also can you verify the date. I believe it is 1891. Thanks in advance.
ImageImage
2209patrick
co-admin
Posts: 3550
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:53 pm
Location: Land of Lincoln, USA

Post by 2209patrick »

Hi Howie.

I'm not sure of the date mark either.
Just wanted to post a possibility for the B & F mark.

Image
Image

Pat.
salmoned
contributor
Posts: 317
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:38 pm
Location: Hawaii

Post by salmoned »

It looks like 1897/8
user701
contributor
Posts: 442
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:21 pm
Location: UK

Post by user701 »

The date letter looks to be a x for 1897
silverport
contributor
Posts: 870
Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:18 pm
Location: Portugal

Betts & Fairfax, Birmingham - mark's registration was 18

Post by silverport »

Hello

Pat's answer on mark B&F is correct! His scann include mark's year of registration - not as interpreted maybe by others, be year of letter X.

It's already mentioned by salmoned and user701 that year mark X signification is 1897 (look also to little bit bigger cut of frame's lower right corner!).

Kind regards silverport
MCB
moderator
Posts: 2133
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:43 pm
Location: UK

Post by MCB »

Hello,

An alternative for the mark is Bishton & Fletcher who were in business in Birmingham around the time the item was assayed.

Mike
howie
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:46 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Rescanned hallmark

Post by howie »

Image
Thanks everyone for the info. I'm still not positive about the date.
I've rescanned the hallmark to make it larger. I think the "x" is really an "r".
Any thoughts.[/url]
user701
contributor
Posts: 442
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:21 pm
Location: UK

Post by user701 »

It is an X for 1897

r date letter is in a round shape, whereas the x is in a square shape

Also there is differences in the letter itself that are obvious that what you show is definitely an x
silverport
contributor
Posts: 870
Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:18 pm
Location: Portugal

«Betts & Fairfax» or «Bishton & Fletcher» ?

Post by silverport »

Hello

In K.C. Jones compendium on Birmingham maker's is mentioned (p. 308) only Bishton Ltd. - their mark registered in March 1945, with other frame and content - was founded in 1889 by Thomas Bishton. There is no mark shown belonging to Bishton & Fletcher. Well it could be that this 1981 published compendium - all (!) Assay Office files were used - wasn't/isn't the almost sounded research on Birmingham maker's mark?

Bishton Ltd. is there (p. 308) described as a «bullion dealer».

Enlarged shown maker's mark - I think - is that of «Betts & Fairfax» (p. 327, 1st vert. row of marks).

Date later, «user701» already mention to, IS x = 1897(p. 382); and not r = 1891 (p. 382), because - already mentioned to by «user701» - r is in a vertical oval frame = and that isn't the case shown here.

To know for sure which maker is involved here, it is necessary to study product range of these two mentioned company - but where?

Kind regards silverport
MCB
moderator
Posts: 2133
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:43 pm
Location: UK

Post by MCB »

Hello,
Have a look at http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for the attribution of the mark to Bishton & Fletcher in 1897.
Mike
Post Reply

Return to “Birmingham Hallmarks”