Helllo and thakyou for your time. I was wondering if anybody could help me with the date stamp on this silver locket I have inherited from my grandmother. I can clearly make out the Birmingham anchor and the sterling silver lion. The makers mark - the ML could possibly be Matthew Linwooed and sons ?? although the font doesnt seem to match. The trouble I am having is with the date stamp - the “e” (or is it c??) doesnt seem to match in font or in background to any of the stamps I have searched from the Birmingham Assay office.
Any help on this matter would be much appreciated.
Hi Robin,
The date letter is for 1977. Birmingham started to use that plain stretched rectangular punch shape in 1975. There may be an optional silver jubilee mark of the Queen’s head since 1977 was the silver jubilee year.
No help with the maker - not Matthew Linwood he was about 100 years earlier.
Hope this helps a bit.
Regards,
Tony
Thankyou very much Tony. It would seem that I was looking in completely the wrong time zone for this piece - it’s obviously a lot more recent than the locket would appear - I have seen other examples dating to the turn of the century so this would seem to be a more modern reproduction. This would also explain why I couldnt find the date stamp. Thanks once again for a speedy and accurate response 
- Robin.