Queens, Crowns and British Hallmarks by: Yvonne Hammouda-Eyre
Kim - a Crown followed by 22 is the gold purity mark and indicates 22 carat England. Concerning the shield you see, if there is a letter inside the shield, this is known as the date mark. To determine the date mark the hallmark guru team require a close-up shot of the letter inside the shield. You may need to use a jewelers loupe, if it is an historic British hallmark. How to use a jewelers loupe is described HERE.
Note: if the crown is on the head of the Queen, this mark is not an historic date mark but a commemorative mark, queen's profile right, 1953, profile facing left 1977.
