Help with conflicting(?) marks on needle case.

British Silver Reading Silver Hallmarks
1

Hi,

I have what I believe to be a solid silver needle case.

A hunt on the web tells me that it went through the Birmingham Assay Office and I think the date mark is for 1919.

However, the makers mark appears to be JYC. The only association I can find is John Yeomans Cowlishaw but this maker appears to (only) be associated with Sheffield.

Is it possible that the Sheffield maker JYC could have sent something to Birmingham Assay Office or would they have always/only used the Sheffield Assay office?

I have included 3 pictures. The one showing the makers mark and the Assay Office mark and the one showing the lion symbol and the (unclear) date mark are together on the main body of the case. The third with the lion and clearer date mark are on the hinging lid of the case.

Many thanks for any assistance,

Jon.
Needle Case.jpg

2

Hi I think your right with the makers mark and yes goods were from time to time assayed in diffrent regions, the unclear date mark is for 1916, it would sergest that they were making this product over a period of time and the lid and main body were put together some time after they were assayed. it could be they sent a load of lids of to birmingham to get stamped and had them hanging around for a bit.

3

Many thanks for your comments bluerinse. It’s good to know that they did send items to Assay offices in different regions. The conflicting date marks are more confusing. If it was the lid that was the earlier marked element then I could understand that; they made a job-lot of plain generic lids in 1916 and fitted them to various main bodies over the next few years with the one I have being done in 1919. It’s a bit more difficult to make sense of it the other way around which is what I have here - the more elaborate body being made 3 years before the lid was fitted. They a so relatively close in date though and the item all looks genuine and original so maybe your theory is perfectly correct. Or maybe it could have been a very early lid repair/replacement i.e. way back in 1919? Thanks again for taking time to reply. Regards, Jon.