What Does an Anchor Mark Mean on Silver?

The anchor symbol stamped on silver (and gold) is the official mark of the Birmingham Assay Office, which has been testing and hallmarking precious metals since 1773. The anchor appears as part of the UK hallmark sequence and specifically identifies Birmingham as the assay office that verified the metal's purity. It does not indicate silver content on its own — that is the job of the lion passant (sterling silver fineness mark) or the numeric 925 stamp that appears alongside it.

Birmingham was granted its own assay office in 1773 following a campaign led by the manufacturer Matthew Boulton, who argued that sending Birmingham-made silver all the way to London for hallmarking was impractical and costly for the city's thriving metalworking industry. According to tradition, the anchor was chosen as Birmingham's symbol after it was spotted on the seal of the pub where Boulton and his associates planned their campaign. The Sheffield Assay Office was established in the same year, adopting a crown (later changed to a rose) as its mark.

Today, the Birmingham Assay Office is the largest and busiest assay office in the world, testing and hallmarking millions of items annually. The majority of precious metal jewelry sold in the UK passes through Birmingham for hallmarking. If you find an anchor alongside a lion passant and a maker's mark on your silver piece, you have a fully hallmarked British sterling silver item that has been independently verified for quality.

The anchor appears in the hallmark sequence alongside other marks — look inside ring bands, on clasp mechanisms, on tag attachments near closures, and on the underside of silverware and flatware. On a fully hallmarked piece, the anchor will be accompanied by the sponsor's (maker's) mark, the lion passant (for sterling silver), and optionally a date letter. Use a magnifying glass or jeweler's loupe, as the marks are typically very small.