www.925-1000.com

Hello all,

Please help me identify if the hallmarks for this sovereign case are correct.

My concern is that "S.M & CO LD" / "Sampson Mordan & Co Ltd" mark on the object is listed to be registered in Feb 1899 ( according to https://silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/ ... -S.html#SM and https://www.silvercollection.it/ENGLASAMPSONMORDAN.html ) and the letter on the object indicate year 1898 (Chester, letter "P").

Very strange is that on this website (admin edit - see Posting Requirements ) it appears that the same "S.M & CO LD" mark was registered in 1889 (Chester).

So please could you help me identify if this sovereign case and the hallmarks on it are genuine ?





Thank you very much!

You will have seen that the mark was registered in February 1899 (actually 18th February). In general British assay offices did not change the date letters at the beginning of the year, which is why you will sometimes see hallmark dates expressed as, say 1898/99. I have tried on my site to spell out these idiosyncracies and for Chester I have written, "From the early 1700s new date letter punches were introduced in July each year. Between 1839 and 1889 the change-over date was moved to 5th August and then in 1889 it changed again to 1st July." So from 18th February until 1st July 1899 Chester was still using the 1898 (or 1898/99) date letter P.

I hope this gives you confidence that the hallmark is genuine.

Phil

Just to clarify and understand better - my sovereign case was actually produced in 1899, but the British assay offices did not change the date letters mark until July 1899, so the date mark on the object remained "P" meaning the year 1898 ?

Date letter mark for year 1899 was letter "Q", but it was introduced after July 1899.

Also "Sampson Mordan & Co Ltd" (registered Feb 1899) mark on the sovereign case is accurate because my object was actually produced in 1899.

Is my understanding correct ?

Thank you very much!

That is correct - although the other assay offices all had their own (different) changeover dates.

Birmingham, London, Chester, Sheffield, etc, etc all had their own different changeover dates for each year ?

That is correct and is also true for Exeter, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and Dublin. Since 1975 the 4 remaining British assay offices, Birmingham, London, Sheffield and Edinburgh, have changed the date letter on 1st January each year.

Thank you very much for your help and expertise!

So just to conclude "S.M & CO LD" , Chester, letter "P" silver hallmarks on my sovereign case are genuine and everything looks right, correct?

Yes

Hello, I thought I noticed something else unusual about the sovereign case when I looked at earlier. Is not the date letter on the body of the case a "styled" date letter "y" from Birmingham? The date letter "y" for 1898. I know Sampson Mordant used other hallmarking centres, but could this be a bit of out "honest" sourcing for part of the item?

Fishless

Great spot, Fishless! Yes, it is a Birmingham 1898 "y". Probably not an outsourcing - just a bit of random picking off the shelf?