This shallow, spun silver bowl contains exactly one kilogram of 999 quality silver. The simple design belies the difficulty of achieving this exact weight, an alternative to the ‘investment bar’. The bowl has a satin finish and bright edge. The centre is hallmarked with a full hallmark, a fineness mark, maker Andrew Macgowan’s mark, the anchor town mark for Birmingham, and the Diamond Jubilee hallmark, a commemorative hallmark which could only be used during the Jubilee year.

The Birmingham Assay Office was founded in 1773 and is one of the city’s oldest institutions. Silversmith Andrew Macgowan works on Frederick Street, in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.