An Act of Parliament established the Sheffield Assay Office in 1773. The chosen town mark was a crown, closely linked historically to the Birmingham anchor. The committee members who frequented a London pub called the Crown & Anchor made this decision..

In 1977, the Sheffield Assay Office decided to change the crown mark to the White Rose of York and adopted date letters on a national scale. Today, the dedicated and busy staff at the assay office continue to test precious metals.