Hallmarks on an old silver match box

Tarakiwa

So - my mother recently gave to me an old solver match box that had been sitting on her mantlepiece for years.

I dont for a moment suspect that it is worth any money, but I do think that it holds some family history.

She knows that it is a generation or two old but has no idea of the original owner. I am trying to determine the year that it was made and use that as my first step towards discovering who owned it in the first place!

On the lid of the box there are 2 marks. The first is a Lion and the second is the letter "B". The "B" is in capitals, in a square surround. The corners of the square are slightly "cut" in. I have attached a picture (taken with my phone so it might not be all that clear!)

Once you open the lid, just along the ridge on the inside the are 4 marks.

The first are the letters "RBS". They apear as; capital R, a dot that is centered in the middle, capital B and a super script s.

The second is the same lion as appears on the lid.

The third is a crecest. I can only describe it as looking like 3 button mushrooms with a dagger in the centre.

The fourth mark is the same B as is on the lid.

Does anybody here have any knowledge as to the meanings of any of these marks?

Any and all help really is much appreciated.

coylemj

The maker's mark RBs looks like it was Rolason Brothers and the date letter 'B' looks like Edinburgh 1932 or Chester 1902 but as you mentioned three items with a dagger in the middle, it has to have been hallmarked in Chester which had a city mark consisting of three sheaves of wheat with a dagger in the middle.

Rolason Brother were based in Birmingham and their output was typically hallmarked in Birmingham or Chester so the maker's mark and city mark are consistent.

So your item is sterling silver, it was manufactured by Rolason Brothers in Vyse St., Birmingham and was hallmarked in the Chester Assay office in 1902. They were called 'vesta cases' after Vesta, a popular brand of match.

http://www.h.cx/?ShowHallmark=10884

Here's a contemporary model to yours for sale on eBay, I think it's probably a different shape to yours but it's also made by Rolason Brothers and it's similar to yours in that only the lion and date letter are stamped on the outside of the lid. The eBay item has a date letter 'A' which as you'll see from the link above is Chester 1901, the year before your box was hallmarked.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Antique-silver-vesta-case-Rolason-Brothers-Chester-1901-/370910173210?pt=UK_Antiques_Silverware_RL&hash=item565bf8181a

Tarakiwa

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Really appreciate all the information.

T