Getting the hang of this now …
I have this attractive contemporary sugar caster, the Birmingham city marks of which have two 'C’s to the side. Makers, I guess are J.B.Chatterley & Sons?
What does this mean please?
i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab24 … ter1-1.jpg
i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab24 … Hall-1.jpg
The two 'C’s were struck by the Birmingham assay office in the 1973/4 hallmark year to celebrate the bicentenary of the assay office which opened in Birmingham in 1774. The Sheffield Office opened in the same year. There is a story, if not true it should be, that the petitioners from Sheffield and Birmingham met in the Crown & Anchor pub off the Strand in London whilst petitioning to have assay rights alongside London and they each decided, on the toss of a coin, to take an emblem from the pub as their town mark. Lucky they didn’t meet in the Slug and Lettuce! The Act of 1773 established both assay offices.
Matthew Boulton was the prime mover behind the petition for an assay office in Birmingham
Sheffield used a copy of the 1773 date letter, in a different background, for their bicentenary.
I really should get out more.
Regards,
Tony
Wonderful, thanks
John 