Comments for Vintage Gold Watch - was Anchor only used by Birmingham Assay Office?

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starstarstarstarstar 		Note to Vintage Gold Watch Owner
by: Yvonne & The Sphinx



The anchor is unique to Birmingham Assay Office. If your piece is pre-1999, the anchor should have a small hole in the top of the fluke. From 1999 onward, Birmingham removed that hole.

So a 1928 watch should show the hole, but 100 years of wear/polish often softens or fills it.

If the other marks check out, the date letter `b` for 1928, fineness, and sponsor’s mark, then it’s still Birmingham, just well-loved.


With care,
Yvonne & the Sphinx
The Vaulted Shelf
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starstarstarstarstar 		Birmingham Assay Office
by: Yvonne

Maharba,

Thanks for reaching out, I am so glad you found us!


The anchor = Birmingham only.
In UK hallmarking, each Assay Office has one town mark and it’s never shared:
Anchor = Birmingham, since 1773
Leopard’s head = London
Rose = Sheffield
Castle = Edinburgh

So if it’s a real UK anchor, it’s Birmingham. No other office used it.

Concerning the anchor shape you’re seeing:

You’re right to notice the difference. Birmingham changed the anchor in 1999.
Pre-1999 anchors were upright with a hole in the top of the fluke or crown.
From 1999 onwards: Upright anchor without the hole and more solid or stylized.

Your watch is 1928, so it should have the hole if it’s a standard Birmingham mark from that era. If yours is upright and no hole, a few reasons could be why...

1. Wear/polish - 100 years of polishing can soften or fill a tiny hole. Very common on gold cases.

2. Import marks vs UK marks: Sometimes a foreign anchor-style maker’s mark gets confused with an assay mark. Check if there’s a full set: anchor + date letter + fineness + sponsor’s mark.
3. Foreign case: Not all gold watches cased in the UK. Some were cased abroad and only have a maker’s mark.

What to check for next....
Look for the 3-4 other marks near the anchor:
1. Fineness = 18, 15, 9, or 375/585/750
2. Date letter = Birmingham 1928 is a lowercase `b` in a shield
3. Sponsor’s mark = who made or submitted it

If you have `anchor + b + 18 + maker, then it’s a genuine 1928 Birmingham piece, and the "no hole" is likely just wear.

With care,
Yvonne
The Vaulted Shelf

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