The Sheffield Assay Office — Complete Guide
A specialist's guide to the Sheffield Assay Office — the crown that became a rose, Old Sheffield Plate vs sterling, the canteen-of-cutlery capital, and reading a full Sheffield hallmark.
🌹 The rose — Sheffield's town mark
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The Sheffield Assay Office was created by the same 1773 Act of Parliament that gave Birmingham its anchor — the legendary Crown & Anchor Tavern legend has Sheffield drawing the crown. The office served the manufacturing capital of British silver flatware, cutlery and hollow-ware. It also assayed — separately, with maker's marks but no town mark — the city's other great trade: Old Sheffield Plate, the silver-fused-on-copper sheet invented locally in the 1740s. Reading a Sheffield hallmark correctly means knowing the difference between the two.
A Brief History — Crown to Rose
For just over 200 years, Sheffield's town mark was a crown. That is why most antique Sheffield silver still carries the crown punch — and is why even today many people still call Sheffield silver "crown" marked. In 1975, as part of the modernisation under the 1973 Hallmarking Act, the crown was replaced with a Tudor rose (Yorkshire's emblem). For gold the crown moved to indicate fineness; for silver, the rose took over as town mark. Both marks are recognisable, but the cycle change matters when dating a piece.
How to Read a Full Sheffield Hallmark
From left to right:
- Maker's (sponsor's) mark — the silversmith or firm's initials.
- Standard mark — a lion passant (sterling, .925). Sheffield assayed Britannia too from 1903 onward.
- Town mark — a crown (1773–1974) or Tudor rose (1975 onward).
- Date letter — a single letter in a shaped shield. Sheffield used an idiosyncratic letter sequence (it skipped certain letters and didn't follow alphabetical order in early cycles).
- Duty mark (1784–1890 only) — a sovereign's head.
A full Sheffield hallmark row — rose town mark (post-1975) with lion passant, date letter and maker's mark.
The Rose Up Close
The post-1975 Sheffield rose is a full-faced Tudor rose with five outer petals — instantly recognisable. The pre-1975 crown sits in a tall arched shield. On worn pieces the crown's pearls can flatten before its outline; the rose's central whorl usually survives well because of punch depth.
Sheffield town mark: the Tudor rose, in use since 1975 (crown before).
Old Sheffield Plate — Not the Same Thing
This is where most confusion arises. "Old Sheffield Plate" (1742–c.1850) is not solid silver and was never given a Sheffield hallmark. It was a fused sheet of silver bonded to a copper core, invented by Thomas Boulsover. Pieces are marked with maker's punches only (Bradbury, Tudor & Leader, Roberts & Cadman, etc.) — there is no rose, no crown, no lion passant. If your "Sheffield" piece has no lion passant, it is not sterling.
Later electroplate (EPNS, from c.1840 onward) replaced Old Sheffield Plate but is similarly never hallmarked. Old Sheffield Plate has antique value in its own right; modern EPNS does not. We can identify both.
Sheffield's Speciality — Flatware, Cutlery and Hollowware
What Sheffield made by the ton: canteens of cutlery, individual flatware, table silver, candlesticks and candelabra, salvers, tea services, large hollowware. London specialised in fine domestic and presentation silver; Birmingham specialised in small silver and jewellery; Sheffield specialised in the dining table. If you have a canteen of cutlery or a pair of large candlesticks, the chances are they carry a Sheffield crown or rose.
Major Sheffield firms include Walker & Hall, James Dixon & Sons, Mappin & Webb, Roberts & Belk, Atkin Brothers, Hawksworth Eyre, John Round, and Cooper Brothers. Walker & Hall and Mappin & Webb in particular were huge producers of canteens — much of the Victorian and Edwardian flatware in British homes is theirs.
Date Letters — Quirks to Watch For
Sheffield's early date-letter cycles were not strictly alphabetical and skipped letters in ways that London and Birmingham did not. Always match the date letter to its specific shield outline and font for the correct year. From 1975 the office moved to standard annual letters in line with the unified UK system.
Duty Marks
Sheffield used the same 1784–1890 duty-mark sequence as the other UK offices: George III (1784–1820), George IV, William IV, Victoria young head. Post-1890 Sheffield pieces show four marks; pre-1890, five.
Pitfalls
- "Old Sheffield Plate" misread as sterling — no lion passant means no sterling. Look for the standard mark first.
- EPNS / A1 / "Sheffield Plated" on modern pieces — these are electroplate, not solid silver. They have a copper or nickel base.
- Re-let-in hallmarks — a real Sheffield crown cut from a damaged piece and soldered into a plated body. Look for a faint solder ring around the marks.
- Mappin & Webb double identity — M&W made both Sheffield-marked and London-marked silver; the firm-stamped marks on the back of cutlery are not hallmarks, only retailer's marks.
Got Sheffield-Hallmarked Silver to Sell?
We buy Sheffield sterling silver of every period — Georgian candlesticks, Victorian canteens, Edwardian tea services and modern Mappin & Webb, Walker & Hall and James Dixon pieces. By appointment in Mayfair or by free insured nationwide courier. Same-day payment.
- Send photos of your silver and its hallmarks via our online valuation form.
- We email an instant indicative price (usually within one working day).
- Visit our Mayfair showroom by appointment, or we book a free insured collection.
- Your silver is independently verified at our office.
- You're paid by same-day bank transfer once you accept our offer.
All courier collections insured up to £25,000 per parcel. Higher-value pieces collected by specialist secure courier at no cost.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Sheffield mark sometimes a crown and sometimes a rose?
Crown from founding in 1773 through to 1974. Tudor rose from 1975 onward. Both are Sheffield town marks — just different periods.
Is Old Sheffield Plate the same as Sheffield silver?
No. Old Sheffield Plate is silver fused on copper, never hallmarked with a town mark. If there is no lion passant, it is not solid silver.
Is EPNS Sheffield silver?
No. EPNS is electroplate on nickel — no silver content beyond a thin surface layer.
Are Mappin & Webb pieces Sheffield silver?
Often, yes. M&W assayed in both Sheffield and London. Check the town mark on the actual hallmark row.
Will you tell me what my Sheffield silver is worth?
Yes — free, no obligation. Email info@mozerisfineantiques.com or use our valuation form.
⚠️ Strictly by appointment only — no walk-ins at either location.
Antique Silver We Specialise In
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