Gold Hallmark date query

[Foster88]

A friend has asked if I can help identify the date mark of this 22ct ring but I’m struggling to pinpoint the year.

Hallmarked with SH (Samuel Hope) as the makers mark so pre 1960’s ish. 22ct, Birmingham (Anchor) and the date letter ‘Z’.

Apologies for the poor photos.

On a complete side note, as I write this, does anyone know why the Assay mark for Birmingham was an anchor? It seems odd being the most furthest from the sea of all the British Assay Offices.

[Spyder]

Looks like 1949 or  1924. Need to see a head on shot of the letter Z to see the shape of the shield to be sure

https://www.bullionbypost.co.uk/index/gold-and-silver/hallmark-date-letters/

Edited February 28 by Spyder

[dicker]

6 hours ago, Foster88 said:

A friend has asked if I can help identify the date mark of this 22ct ring but I’m struggling to pinpoint the year.

Hallmarked with SH (Samuel Hope) as the makers mark so pre 1960’s ish. 22ct, Birmingham (Anchor) and the date letter ‘Z’.

Apologies for the poor photos.

On a complete side note, as I write this, does anyone know why the Assay mark for Birmingham was an anchor? It seems odd being the most furthest from the sea of all the British Assay Offices.

Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice.  

[Petra]

🤔1949

[MBTPSilver]

I'd agree 1949 looks most likely.

From the Birmingham City Council site - "Birmingham's hallmark became the Anchor and Sheffield's the Crown as the two parties conducted business when in London at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in the Strand." Not sure if true, but there we go. Otherwise yes, could be canal related.

[SidS]

21 hours ago, MBTPSilver said:

From the Birmingham City Council site - "Birmingham's hallmark became the Anchor and Sheffield's the Crown as the two parties conducted business when in London at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in the Strand."

This is true. Quite fitting too as coincidentally Birmingham (or at least the Black Country) did actually make anchors too, most famously the anchor for the Titanic.

Edited February 29 by SidS