Undated
Roberts & Belk (Samuel Roberts & Charles Belk)
Roberts & Belk R&B with British assay punches; keep the ampersand when comparing.
Captioned hallmark: Sheffield 1886.
Read the stamp
RB Sterling mark
An RB or R&B silver mark needs its full punch and hallmark group: Roberts & Belk used R&B in Sheffield, while Richard Beale’s script RB under a crown is illustrated with London 1742 hallmarks. Rectangular R.B and flowing retailer RB punches have other users.
Examples
Undated
Richard Beale
Richard Beale script RB under a crown, illustrated with London 1742 hallmarks.
Captioned hallmark: London 1742.
Undated
London 1820 hallmark
Richard Britton R.B within a rectangular surround; examples have London 1820 and 1823 hallmarks.
Captioned hallmark examples: London 1820; London 1823. Registration: 1812.
Undated
Sheffield 1912 hallmark/a>
Harrods / Richard Burbridge script RB; examples have Sheffield 1912 and Chester 1911 hallmarks.
Captioned hallmark examples: Sheffield 1912; Chester 1911.
Undated
Unattributed marks
Unidentified R.B with Birmingham 1924 hallmarks.
Illustrated hallmark dated 1924.
Birmingham
not identified 1924 hallmark.
Frequently asked questions
Is an RB sterling mark Reed & Barton?
Not automatically. British RB and R&B punches also belong to Richard Beale, Richard Britton, Harrods and Roberts & Belk. Match the whole group.
What does RB under a crown mean on silver?
Script RB under a crown identifies Richard Beale. Compare the actual punch with the illustrated London hallmark group.
Does RB mean the silver is sterling?
RB identifies a name or responsibility mark. Read the separate standard mark or material wording to establish silver content.
Related marks
6 marksUndated
London 1820 hallmark
Captioned hallmark examples: London 1820; London 1823. Registration: 1812.
RB and R&B are different readings
An RB silver mark can identify several unrelated makers or sponsors. First establish whether there is an ampersand between the letters, whether the initials are script or block, and whether a crown belongs inside the same punch. Roberts & Belk used R&B with British assay marks; Richard Beale used a script RB under a crown. Other RB punches belong to Richard Britton or Harrods. The letters identify a registered name or business, while a separate silver standard and assay-office group establish the metal and hallmark context.
Roberts & Belk: keep the ampersand
The illustrated R&B examples are associated with Sheffield. Hallmark examples bear the dates 1886, 1906 and 1921; each dates a particular object. Roberts & Belk became a limited company in 1901, and the business used several punch designs over its history. Preserve the full group, including the lion, office device and date letter. A crown standing separately in a historical Sheffield group serves a different role from a crown built into a London maker’s initials.
Script RB, crown RB and rectangular R.B
Richard Beale’s script RB under a crown appears in an illustrated London 1742 group. Richard Britton’s R.B or RB sits within a chamfered rectangle; his first mark was entered in 1812, and the illustrated comparisons carry London 1820 and 1823 hallmarks. Harrods used a flowing RB for Richard Burbridge, with examples from Sheffield and Chester. These initials identify a retailer’s responsibility mark rather than proving that Harrods made the object. Compare the individual strokes and surround: a curled B, tiny stop or missing crown can change the candidate.
Avoid a universal RB attribution
The maker of this R.B stamp with Birmingham 1924 hallmarks is unidentified. Do not assign it to a better-known maker merely because its letters match. American R&B markings also occur on Reed & Barton silverplate, so a British Roberts & Belk identification needs the British hallmark context. Read material wording as well: an RB name alone does not mean sterling, and a separate plated description does not become sterling because the maker also produced silver. On a spoon, preserve the stem group; on hollowware, inspect the underside and any detachable lid as well as the owner’s engraving.