Long Link Antique Silver Albert. “Albert” is the name given to the type of Silver chain popularized by Prince Albert, regent of Victoria, worn attached to the valuable time piece sitting in the fob pocket of the vest, and connected with its bar to one of the button holes of the same vest. The swag of the chain across the vest front, from fob to button hole, became a sign of the English gentleman of the Victorian era.
Birmingham earned its sobriquet “Silver City” through the creation of countless Silver Albert chains, all handmade. However, to find a genuine Victorian Silver Albert chain nowadays, in reasonable to good condition, is increasingly difficult.
The above “long link” Albert chain – a “fancy” Albert, all Albert chain types not curb-link being called “fancy” – is in very good condition and very close to being completely original. The bar is stamped with the Birmingham year mark of 1891, where the clasp is hallmarked in the year 1892, a probable indication of the original spring clasp having worn out, replaced with one made only a year later, but still in good working order.