The monarch's head in profile is called the DUTY MARK. In 1784 a duty mark was introduced in Britain, that indicated a tax on the item had been paid to the crown. The mark was a profile of the reigning monarch's head. The duty mark was abolished in 1890.
Queen Victoria was the last reigning monarch to appear as a symbol of the duty mark. The duty mark gives a clue to dating your item. Queen Victoria's profile facing left was used from 1838 - 1890.
thanks for writing in..
Yvonne Hammouda-Eyre
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Impression behind the initial marks by: Joy
The mark for Birmingham is an anchor. Most hallmarks books indicate an upright anchor for silver and a sideways anchor for gold. There are quite a few british makers who use the initials as their trade mark.
Is the impression behind the initials, an oval, rectangle, quarter-foil, etc.
The letter 'L" will be the date letter and the conditions that apply to the initials above, also apply to the date letter. This is why photos are so important. You can attach a photo of the mark in a follow-up submission.
best wishes Joy
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