Hallmark help

[TeamD]

Hi Folks,

Anyone good at identifying hallmark date letters? This looks like an F but using the assay office site for Birmingham letters I can't really see one that matches. Any thoughts/guesses? Thanks

[akirk]

Having pulled out my tome: Jackson's Silver and Gold Marks - which is pretty much the authoritative work...

9 followed by .375 is the correct hallmark for 9 carat gold (I assume that this is a black and white photo!)
I don't think that gold has the duty mark or lion passant... so that ties in
It is not imported as that has a date letter and then an F in an oval
so, it should be 9 carat gold in birmingham in year F

1905-6 was lower case f
1930-31 is upper-case F
1955-56 is a more ornate F which could fit
ALD as a maker's mark is not listed

so not much more help - I would take a slightly different track - what item is it on, and who with the initials ALD was making that product and when...

[TeamD]

akirk said:

Having pulled out my tome: Jackson's Silver and Gold Marks - which is pretty much the authoritative work...

9 followed by .375 is the correct hallmark for 9 carat gold (I assume that this is a black and white photo!)
I don't think that gold has the duty mark or lion passant... so that ties in
It is not imported as that has a date letter and then an F in an oval
so, it should be 9 carat gold in birmingham in year F

1905-6 was lower case f
1930-31 is upper-case F
1955-56 is a more ornate F which could fit
ALD as a maker's mark is not listed

so not much more help - I would take a slightly different track - what item is it on, and who with the initials ALD was making that product and when...

Cheers, yes, I took the photo in B&W to get better contrast. This mark is on the inside of the back of a watch that I've acquired (hence this forum ), the face bears the name Vertex, the movement Vertex Revue, I think the case was made in England by the Dennison Watch Co. Ltd (apparently ALD is their mark). I was just trying to roughly gauge its age from the hallmark. I considered the 1955-56 date but the outer shape of the date letter doesn't seem to tally (although I think we can safely say that it wasn't made in 1980 or 2005 )

Here's a pic if you're interested in what it is

[akirk]

Well Vertex watch company was founded in 1916

so it could be either of the 20th century options above (30/31 or 55/56)
looking at other images online - I would go for 1950s
This one looks pretty much identical and is 1958:
https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/gents_9ct_g...
Case Maker Aaron Dennison (which would explain A.L.D.)
9 carat gold and Birmingham
you can see the hallmark, but can't quite see the date letter

So I will go 1955-56

[TeamD]

akirk said:

This one looks pretty much identical and is 1958:
https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/gents_9ct_g...

Certainly does!

Not sure which is the serial number, the one above the Vertex on the case back or the one lower one, mine has 12102 & 683632 respectively so could well be 55-56 but obviously since my back is clear of inscriptions I don't have that as a hint

[akirk]

TeamD said:

Certainly does!

Not sure which is the serial number, the one above the Vertex on the case back or the one lower one, mine has 12102 & 683632 respectively so could well be 55-56 but obviously since my back is clear of inscriptions I don't have that as a hint

That was an omission on your part
I would only be guessing, maybe one is serial no for the case and one for the movement if they were different companies?

anyway, I reckon it pins down the hallmark reasonably accurately to the 50s!

[ecain63]

Birmingham 1955/6