© 2007 A Beer Glass Collector
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As you can see from all the pictures, the design of the stamps varied from inspector to inspector until total standardisation arrived in 1964 when the stamp became simply crown plus number. For the first time in nearly 300 years the monarch’s title disappeared and now the crown has gone too.
Your handy guide to verification stamps:
Inspector’s # 490 Bristol City
Inspector’s # 19 Derbyshire
1879-
1901-
1910-
1953-
1964-
1969-
2006-
VR+ crown designs + number
ER+ crown designs + number
GR+ crown designs + number (no distinction)
EIIR + crown + number
Crown + year + number
Crown + number
Number+ year
The first attempt to verify the contents of drinking vessels with a stamp was from 1699 onwards. Before 1824 there were regional variations on what constituted a pint but the imperial pint of 20 fluid ounces became the standard from 1824. Pint, half pint or quarter pint (gill) tankards had to be filled with a measured amount of water by the Weights and Measures Inspectorate and verified with a stamp.
In January 1879 the Board of Trade issued a circular to all Borough and County authorities urging them to adopt a uniform design of verification stamp”…with only variation of number or mark…as shall be sufficient to distinguish each Inspector’s district.”
In 1907 the regulations specified that a verification mark must
“…be etched or sandblasted beneath or near the denomination outside the measure.”
To see the complete list of Inspector’s numbers with Crown prior to 2006 go to http://www.nwml.gov.uk/enforcement.aspx
King Edward VII Pottery Mug
Queen Victoria Quart Jug